The Rochester Opera House
The Rochester Opera House was designed by George Gilman Adams in 1906. George Adams designed other city hall/opera house dual purpose buildings around New England. The list of cities he designed buildings for are Bellow Falls, VT (1887), Amesbury, MA (1887), Dover, NH (1891), and Derry, NH (1901). Only three of his city hall/opera houses survive today (Waterville, Montpelier, and Rochester), many of his buildings were destroyed by fire.

George Adams' made his opera houses unique because of their famous floor. It is a movable floor and it can function in an inclined position or level position. When it is in the inclined position the opera house would show plays, concerts, etc. When the floor is level it can be used for dances or public meetings. The Rochester Opera House opened on Memorial Day in 1908. Almost all of Adams' buildings contained the movable floor, there were two buildings that did not and they were located in Waterville and Montpelier. Because of the destruction of the other opera houses the Rochester Opera House is the only known theatre in the United States to use this type of movable floor.

Today you can still take in a show at the Rochester Opera House. The Opera House looks like it did over ninety years ago when it opened up.

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