Fort Recovery Morvilius
Opera House
listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Our Story
Built in 1883, the Fort Recovery Morvilius Opera House is on the second floor of a beautiful historic building located at 101 North Wayne Street in the village of Fort Recovery, Ohio. The building is currently undergoing an extensive restoration to honor its past and provide for future generations.
opera house fay biography.pdfClick here to view our Informational Pamphlet
Click here to learn about the Opera House Singers
Click here to view our YouTube Video (from "History in Your Own Backyard")
After the Civil War, it was popular for small communities to have an opera house — a home not only for music and theater, but a community gathering space for lectures, high school commencement ceremonies, book clubs, sporting events, wedding receptions, and more.
Fort Recovery’s opera house was built in 1883 on the top floor of a commercial storefront. It changed hands several times before being purchased by its namesake, Russell Morvilius, a local dry goods store owner.
Opera houses fell out of fashion when other forms of entertainment, such as movies, became popular. As more people owned automobiles, they could drive longer distances for entertainment — making the local opera house less necessary.
By the 1930s, nearly all community events in Fort Recovery took place at the newly built high school gymnasium. And in 1939, the opera house closed its doors for good.
GPS Coordinates: 40°24'47.6"N 84°46'47.0"W