Tibbits Opera House recognized on National Register of Historic Places!
COLDWATER – One of Branch County’s architectural gems received additional recognition as the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, has listed the Tibbits Opera House in the National Register of Historic Places.
With the completion in 2013 of the restoration of the original 1882 French Second Empire façade, Tibbits began the process to get the building listed. Historically, it has been a contributing building in the Coldwater Downtown Historic District listing on the National Register. However, the building was denied its own listing in the 1980s because of the loss of its original exterior architectural character.
Architect Debra Johnson completed the application with materials prepared by Tibbits Executive Director Christine Delaney and additional research provided by Eastern Michigan University Historic Preservation Program graduate student Belinda McGuire.
Nominations of Michigan properties are made by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), part of Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Tibbits Opera Foundation and Arts Council, as well as the City of Coldwater were notified May 1 of the listing. Coldwater City Manager, Keith Baker said, “Coldwater benefits from the unique character provided by its historic buildings. We’re very happy Tibbits Opera House has been listed. It’s great for the theatre and it’s another boost for our community.”
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of cultural resources significant in our collective history and worthy of preservation. According to SHPO, listing on the National Register allows consideration in the planning for federal-assisted projects; provides eligibility for federal tax benefits; qualifies properties for federal assistance for historic preservation, when funds are available; serves as a catalyst for economic development; and promotes heritage tourism.”
Information on the National Register and related SHPO program can be found at Michigan.gov/shpo. Information and history of Tibbits are available in a display at the opera house, at Tibbits.org, or by calling 517.278.6029.
The film by Mike Mort of Equity Studios documents the restoration process of the façade of the Tibbits Opera House. It captures everything from the construction work on the theatre and the fabrication of decorative details, to the fundraising and the building of community support. It is a quality film demonstrating the many facets of restoring an old building. While Tibbits Opera House is the star of the film, it was created as a guide or toolkit for other communities interested in preserving their old buildings. Since its premiere at Tibbits with the dedication of the theatre’s historic façade, Equity Studios finalized the film and prepared it for distribution. It has already appeared at PBS stations in Indiana and hundreds of copies have been sold through Tibbits and the historic preservation networks to which Tibbits belongs.