Editing Pensacola Opera House

{{Infobox Building
|image=OldOperaHouseSite.jpg
|caption=Historical sign marks the site of the old opera house
|name=Pensacola Opera House
|location=[[Jefferson Street]] at [[Government Street|Government]]
|architect=
|client=[[John M. Coe]]
|engineer=[[Daniel F. Sullivan]] (?)
|owner=
|construction_start_date=
|completion_date=1883
|renovations=
|date_demolished=1916 (hurricane)
|cost=
|structural_system=
|style=
|size=1,400 seats
|mapcode=
}}

The [[Pensacola Opera House]] was a 1,400-seat theater at the intersection of [[Jefferson Street|Jefferson]] and [[Government Street]]s, across from [[Plaza Ferdinand VII]]. It opened in [[1883]]. According to an 1885 city directory, "the stage which is 50 x 60 feet has 15 sets of scenery, foot-lights and four boxes."<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.com/~flescamb/1885appendix.htm 1885 Pensacola City Directory Appendix</ref> The building was destroyed in a [[1916]] [[hurricane]]. Salvaged bricks and balcony railings were used in the construction of the [[Saenger Theatre]].

==Pensacola Advertising Company==
In [[1902]] manager [[John M. Coe]] created the "Pensacola Advertising Company," a small poster business to promote the opera house. He took a business partner, [[Charles W. Lamar, Sr.]], in [[1905]]. When the two men dissolved their business relationship in [[1908]], the poster company went to Lamar and was renamed [[Lamar Advertising]]. According to Lamar company lore, "a coin toss was used to divide their assets," and Lamar "lost."<ref>[http://www.lamar.com/main/about/History.cfm Lamar Company History</ref> Of course, the opera house was destroyed eight years later, while Lamar Advertising went on to become a billion-dollar multinational.

==References==
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[[Category:Historic theaters]]