The Arcanum Opera House Was built between 1888 and 1890 as both a place of entertainment and a home for the village and township administration. Throughout its early history it was just that and it became an important part of the community, hosting plays, carnival acts, moving pictures and on occasion important political events. It also served an important role as an administration building where the future of the community was determined. The building began to lose significance after World War One as cars allowed easy transportation to larger cities and the era of the traveling circus came to a close and in 1934 the auditorium was remodeled into a meeting space. The building continued to serve the community until 2018 as a home for the city and township administration and in 2019 it was taken over by the Arcanum Preservation Society with the goal of restoring the building and returning it to its former place in the community.

In 1888, the Village of Arcanum and Twin Township purchased a lot at the corner of High and South Streets on which to build a combined town hall and township house. The second and third stories of this building were the Arcanum Opera House, which would serve as the center of social life in the area through the 1920’s. The architects of the new building were Williams, Otter & Dexter, the building contractor was Daff Vashti Zimmerman and the interior of the building was finished by J.M. Mellinger. The building was completed in late 1890 and its completion was celebrated with a dedication ceremony and a carnival. While it was possible for the residents of Arcanum to travel to larger cities such as Dayton and Cincinnati via the railway, the Arcanum Opera House was the heart of the community serving as the center of both business and social life. The Arcanum Opera House hosted graduations, lectures, comedy tours, musical performances and political events as well as meetings of civic organizations. The Town Hall housed the fire department, and the first meeting of the Arcanum Council was held in the council chamber on February 5, 1890. In 1900, the first motion picture in Arcanum was scheduled to be presented at the opera house. Unfortunately, the film did not arrive and no records exist telling whether the film was ever shown. As good entertainment became more scarce in the nineteen teens , more movies were shown as entertainment at the Opera House.

1n 1907, the Opera House was completely renovated. The walls were frescoed, the house cleaned and a new piano purchased by the manager. A sidewalk, cement curb, and gutter were installed outside the building. After the completion of these renovations and through the 1920’s, the Council didn’t spend much money on the maintenance of the Opera House and during World War I, there was very little entertainment. In 1928, the front northeast tower was probably torn off the building due to safety concerns and in 1934 the Village Council and the Twin Township Trustees agreed to pay for a project to remodel the Village and Township building to turn the theater on the second floor into permanent meeting space for American Legion and Auxiliary.

Turning the Opera House into meeting space marked the end of the Opera House serving the community after 34 years. Many factors contributed to the end of the Opera House. After the new school was completed in 1924, many activities moved to the auditorium there. Further, the era of Vaudeville and entertainment troupes came to an end. As owning cars became more common, town citizens were more inclined to travel to Greenville, Dayton, or the surrounding area for entertainment, and high school sports became a more popular form of entertainment. Finally, the Council was not able to maintain the Opera House and perform other necessary maintenance and services for the village. There was never an industry in the community that could sponsor the Opera House; although there were many businesses that supported the Opera House, it wasn’t sufficient for its upkeep.

For many years, the building continued to house village and township administration offices and the fire and police stations. Among the many challenges faced by the building was a major fire that caused severe damage in 2005. The future of the building became uncertain in 2018 after it was determined that it was unsafe for habitation due to an infestation of bats. In 2019, the Arcanum Preservation Society was formed in an effort not only to save the Opera House and Village Building but also to preserve other historic structures in the Arcanum community.

1. Arcanum Chronicles, Vol 1. Anita Short and William Gunder 2. Arcanum Chronicles, Vol 2. William Gunder 3. The Secret Town, William Gunder 4. Business Back to Normal at The Arcanum City Hall, Daily News