Evening star., 1943-07-18
Old Fords Opera House and Famous Early Performances
BY John Clagett Proctor,

by JOHN CldgeCC PROCTOR.
OF the many places of amusemen
that the middle aged or older Washing
tonian still recalls with the greatest O
pleasant memories, no doubt old Fordi
Opera House stands out as at least on,
of the leading playhouses, in its day, ir
the Nations Capital.
This early theater, which stood for .
number of years on the west side oi
Ninth street, back from the park area
between Louisiana avenue and c street
and in front of which was picturesque
fountain, was removed about ten years
ago, for the purpose of erecting the
Department of Justice Building, the
cornerstone of which was laid by Presi-
dent Herbert Hoover on February 23,
1888.
The early history of the land where
the theater once stood shows that at
the time of the founding of the city it
formed part of the large tract of land
then belonging to David Burnes A
half century later, John Sessford tells us,
in his annals" that large coach fac
tory had been erected on the corner
of Ninth street and Louisiana avenue,
and this undoubtedly is the coach fac
tory of Haslup & Weeden.
Early Names.
From the available sources of informa-
tion on the subject, it would appear
that the site was first used for theatrical
purposes in 1868, when it opened its
doors under the name of Varieties Con-
cert Saloon, and during the following
year the same name was retained
In 1865 We find it called the Oxford
Hall of Music, with Fox, Curran & Nor
=, rls as the proprietors and managers
The next year George Lea was running
the place under the name Of Canterbury
Hall. But this did not continue long,
for in 1867 it became Walls Opera House,
with Berry & Wall listed as proprietors.
From that time on until the building was
destroyed by fire. early on the morning
of December 6, 1871, Berry & Wall con-
tinued to run it with more or less success.
The Star of the same date, after tell
ing of the fire, gives the following &C
count of the theater up to that time:
THE opera house, a three-story brick
building, was originally built by Messrs.
Haslup & Weldon, about the year 1850,
as coach factory and subsequently as
gymnasium About Is years ago the
building was purchased by Messrs.
Thomas Berry and Francis Mohun, and
after the gymnasium had disbanded it
was used for several years as a store
room and for other purposes During
the war it was fitted up and run as a
varieties theater, but was closed after the
war, and Messrs. Berry and Wall-the
latter gentleman having secured Mr..
Mohun's interest in the premises-used
1t as a storeroom for furniture.
About six years ago these gentlemen,
thinking it could be used to better ad-
vantage, made certain necessary i'm
provements and repairs and it was
opened under the name of Walls Opera
House. The theater was leased to H. B.
Phillips, who opened the place with
Rosetta and a full dramatic COM
pany.
"Wallach and Davenport came next,
and under the management of Humphrey
Bland, now dead, a round of the char
acters peculiar to those eminent actors,
assisted by Rose Eytinge, was played
1T was leased to Sanderson e. Barton
during the season of 1868-69, and after
that Mr.. Thaddeus Barton was, up to
the close Of the season of 1901. the
principal lessee. While he was manager
very eminent histrionic names appeared
~.
among them Nine. Marie Seebach, Mrs
Scott Siddons and Mrs. Fred w. Lander;
also the Mrs. James Oates and Lisa