The Opera House Gets Moved for a Concrete Block
H. M. Lund will replace Newport's Opera House with a two-story reinforced-concrete hardware store, while the old theater is sold and rolled north on Washington Avenue.
H. M. Lund, of the Lund Hardware Co., announced on Wednesday that his company would erect a fine two-story business block on Washington Avenue this season. The building will be located on the present site of the Opera House. It will be a two-story structure of reinforced concrete construction and practically fireproof. The building will be modern in every respect and be used by the Lund Hardware Co. The building will cover a ground area of 30x136 feet, the full size of the lot, and will be an ornament to the street. The Opera House will be removed to another site, but the exact location has not been decided as yet, but will be in a few days. It is understood that the old building has been purchased by one of the secret societies, and will be removed to a lot north of its present location on Washington Avenue. There are also several other deals on tap that have a close relation to the Opera House, and it is possible that another cement business building will also be erected as the result of the Lund company's decision to build.
“The Opera House will be removed to another site, but the exact location has not been decided as yet.”
Moving an opera house to make way for a fireproof commercial block was a small-town version of the redevelopment fights that still shape downtowns. Then as now, communities weigh the value of a beloved old building against the promise of new investment and safety.
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