Perkins Opera House, Opera house in Monticello, US

The Perkins Opera House is a two-storey brick block at Washington and Jefferson Streets, built in 1890 to W. R. Gunn's design. Three bays at street level held Perkins' general store and sewing machine shop, a hardware store and a farm implement store; the auditorium with its large foyer fills the upper floor. A stable once stood behind the building.

John H. Perkins funded the Perkins Block after receiving a ten-year tax break, and architect W. R. Gunn of Chattanooga completed it in 1890. The ground floor held Perkins's general store, hardware store and farm implement shop, with a stable behind. Railroads bypassed Monticello soon after 1900, ending touring productions; one of the last featured future Florida governor LeRoy Collins. Volunteers saved the building in 1972, and Monticello Opera House, Inc. bought it on October 17, 1973.

The building's name comes from John H. Perkins, the merchant who financed it in exchange for a ten-year tax break. Its stage hosted touring companies and local vaudeville, among them The Mikado and She Stoops to Conquer, and a young LeRoy Collins, later Governor of Florida, appeared in one of the last productions. Today children's theater, murder mystery dinners and musicals fill the hall, while the rear patio and gazebo host weddings and receptions.

The theater became accessible in May 2004, when an elevator was installed after years of fundraising: $25,000 given in memory of Dr. Gerald M. Cathey, $25,000 more from donors and Opera House Stage Company proceeds, and a $50,000 matching state grant. Riley Palmer Construction carried out the work. The downstairs had already been remodeled for visitors with disabilities.

The theater hall on the upper floor contains specific architectural features that create excellent acoustic conditions for musical and theatrical performances. This quality makes the space particularly suitable for live performances.