The Pampell Opera House

Originally a frame structure, this building was completed about 1895. It housed the M. V. Gregory Hotel and Store when local merchant John L. Pampell (1871-1958) bought the site in 1901. He converted the second floor into a 450-seat auditorium and used the ground floor for the manufacture and sale of candy, ice cream, and carbonated drinks. The Pampell Opera House became a popular site for plays, concerts, traveling acts, and various civic functions, but by the 1920s movies began replacing the live shows. Traces of the opera house are still evident inside the building. (1981)