Press Release

Restoring Tibbits Opera House's Cupola

Date: April 8, 2008

COLDWATER, MI—

While Tibbits Opera Foundation’s board and volunteers are still actively fundraising for the restoration of the building’s original historic façade, work will proceed soon on another small piece of the project with the recreation of the original cupola or dome which adorned the roof.

Audiences may see work as early as this summer. Tibbits board of directors approved Winter-Troutwine Associates as the architect for this segment of the project. Work began March 27 with an on site visit by the architect and structural engineer. The original façade was altered in the mid 1930s when Schulte-Barrett Theaters purchased the opera house and began the process of modernizing it into a movie theater. Their efforts included removing the decorative elements of the Victorian era including the 20’ dome. A white tile art deco façade gave the then 50-year-old building a fresh new look allowing it to compete in the growing world of motion pictures and movie palaces.  

The total façade restoration project is budgeted at $1.5 million. To date $592,000 has been raised. The plan is to fully restore the exterior of the building to the French Second Empire architectural style commissioned by Barton S. Tibbits in 1882. The brick on the north, west and south sides of the building has been repaired, replaced and repointed thanks to a gift from the Hal and Lillian Creal Foundation of the Branch County Community Foundation. The cupola is the next step.

Once the façade is complete Tibbits Opera House will become an even greater tourism draw than it already is. Very few theatres of the era of Tibbits still exist in the United States. Since Tibbits’ ornate façade was a rarity when it was built, its restoration will be a notable event in architecture across the country.

Preliminary timeline for the project has the project going to bid in May and construction starting in June. A portion of the funding on the project is coming through a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The $36,500 grant was received by the City of Coldwater for the Tibbits project. The cupola should be complete by September.

If you would like to make a gift to the campaign, please contact Tibbits Development Director Krista Miller at 517-278-6029.