Nevada
Virginia City
Piper's Opera House
John Piper came to Virginia City in 1860 and
spent his time looking for a business. In 1863, John Piper
purchased the brick office block that already stood at this
location, now the entrance portion of the opera house, and
established a saloon.
Typical of the busies men in Virginia, the
thriving, hot spot for making money at every turn, Piper
owned several businesses. Around 1864, he purchased the
Maguire's Opera House on D street and entered into the entertainment
and promotions business with a traveling troup of his own.
After the great fire of 1875 destroyed his
first Virginia City theater (at another location), Piper
built a second theater here, to the rear of the saloon.
Piper's first Opera House (Maguire's) burned
down in the Great Fire of 1875. The town, including Piper's.-
was rebuilt by the mining barons. His second theater was
built on the rear of his saloon. . The second Piper Opera
House suffered the same fate as the first and burned to
the ground in 1883. Some think this fire was caused by arson
others blame it on John Piper’s cigar. With Virginia
City on the down hill run, Piper had little interest in
rebuilding the grand theater. But persuaded by townsfolk,
he began construction, using mostly wood left over from
the burned second one and abandoned mines. He finished Piper's
opera House #3 in 1885. It still stands today.
The auditorium is a large rectangular room
with a floor mounted on springs, a suspended horseshoe-shaped
balcony and two-story box seats on either side of the stage.
John Mackay, wealthy mining magnate and one of the Comstock's
"kings," was an honored guest at Piper's Opera
House, with a private box and staircase for his exclusive
use.
According to the historian,Andria Daley-Taylor,
the first venue probably had gas lights but when Virginia
City was electrified they were replaced with electric fixtures.
The building is a classic shoebox. The downstairs had reception
rooms, a Saloon, the green rooms, dressing rooms, and the
stars quarters. To the left side of the building we have
the old prop shop and the printing room. The auditorium
is upstairs.
The Opera House has it share of ghosts and
the most popular is the ghost of a young women dressed in
lavender. When she is near, bystanders smell lavender. She
stands at the top of the balcomy to watch the performances.
She is said to be friendly and to particularly enjoy children's
performances, clapping and dancing along with the music.
However, there is a not-so-sweet ghost of an old man who
sits smoking in the side balcony seating scowling at performances
believed to be Piper himself.
The stage is raked, it has a lift of 4 feet. Unusual to
theaters, the backdrops are tracked in from the side rather
than dropped down from above. The opera house construction
is square set timbering like that used in the mines. The
auditorium has wood lathe with canvas stretched over it.
The auditorium floor is built on ore cart springs. This
adds a little bounce and is exceptionally nice for dances.
Piper's Opera House is located at 1 North B St. in Virginia
City.
Back To Top
Back To US Map