Steyer Opera House, Decorah Iowa

Date added: December 10, 2023

Categories:
Iowa
Commercial
Theater

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The opera house block was built in 1870, and designed by F. G. Brant of Dubuque. The original owner, Joseph Steyer, came to the U.S. from Luxembourg in 1852. He was a stonecutter by trade, and worked in Ohio, Minnesota, and perhaps other states of the upper midwest, before settling in Decorah in 1865. In Decorah, he opened a saloon, and was later a stockholder in the First National Bank. Five years after his Opera House opened, Steyer had an addition made to the east end, and the auditorium was extensively redecorated and the balcony added. The Opera House was host to professional and amateur theatricals and assorted community events.

The third-floor auditorium and stage present a rather fine example of Iowa's 19th-century opera house design and decoration. The lavish use of pressed tin, in a variety of floral and geometric patterns, the whole gaily covered, is particularly noteworthy, as are the handsome architraves over the doorways flanking the stage.

Building Description

This three-story commercial block was built in 1870, with an additional 3 bays (for a total of 10) added on the east side in 1875. The ground floor houses small businesses; the second, apartments; while the third contains the remains of the stage and auditorium.

The first story has been extensively modernized, although the pilasters on each end of the facade are still intact. This story originally featured two storefronts, with cast-iron columns, tall plate glass windows, and recessed entrances. Between them was (and is) the entrance to stairs leading to the floors above. The easternmost three bays (the 1875 addition) featured similar storefront treatment, but in addition were sheltered beneath a small flat roof enlivened with a wrought iron balustrade.

The upper floors are characterized by tall, segmentally-arched windows, with 4/4 d.h.s. (extant only on the third story; second-story windows have been closed up to accommodate small aluminum windows and air conditioners). The third-story windows are taller than those of the second. All windows have keystone hoods and narrow Sills with diminutive "brackets". The front facade then rises to a plain brick parapet that replaces a prominent cornice with paired brackets.

The third-floor auditorium, although long unused, retains a remarkable number of original features and is today the most significant element of this building. The walls and coved ceilings are covered with tin, pressed in a variety of decorative patterns and still displaying (though faded) a color scheme of white, blue, gold, and pink. To each side of the proscenium is a doorway, framed by thick, paneled pilasters and topped with a broad architrave which is arched in the center. A number of painted floats, the work of local artist Harry Dessell in 1875, are still extant.

The balcony around 3 sides dates from a major renovation in 1875.