Crow Opera House
Stephenville, Erath County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The first floor of this limestone building, erected before 1892, housed the Erath County National Bank, with Dr. M. S. Crow as president. His wife Mollie Jane Crow suggested use of the top floor for cultural events. The opera house auditorium, which held about 400 persons, was the site of theatrical productions, dances, and town gatherings. Its use declined by 1920 with the rise of motion pictures. Other commercial enterprises later occupied the Romanesque style structure. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1977
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built before 1892, this limestone building housed the Erath County National Bank on its ground floor under president Dr. M. S. Crow. At the suggestion of his wife, Mollie Jane Crow, the upper floor became an opera house seating about 400 that hosted plays, dances, and community gatherings until the rise of motion pictures dimmed it by 1920. Its Romanesque style later sheltered other businesses.
Why it matters
Small-town opera houses were the cultural hearts of Gilded Age America, and this one owes its stage to a woman's vision for civic life above the bank vault.
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Related people
- · Mollie Jane Crow
- · M. S. Crow
Themes & tags
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