The Dixie Opera House in Cordell was once a small-town entertainment center established in the early 20th century-September of 1907, to be exact by the Miller brothers.
The opera house still stands today as the original two story, beautifully bricked, flat roof structure with the original wood flooring. The opera house gives a glimpse into the early entertainment of the western plains, as it once provided the joys of traveling stage shows through countless performances that shook the town from the second floor.
It also housed a department store downstairs called The Miller Brothers Dry Goods Store.
Opera houses were a popular form of entertainment in the early towns that made up Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Historical Society says “The opera house was home to a variety of entertainment, such as community dances, graduations, civic functions, hosted traveling theatrical companies, vaudeville troops, and operatic companies. A season’s entertainment could provide the community with matinee and evening performances, featuring plays recently debuted on Broadway, musical evenings with operatic selections, as well as popular songs, animal acts, pretty girls in chorus lines, and vaudeville companies offering humorous and sometimes bawdy comic relief.”
The upstairs level even served as the Masonic Lodge at one point in history.
“The lodge bought that building in 1923 and occupied it until 1983,” stated Landon Jones, Worshipful Master Cordell Mason Lodge #127 of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of the State of Oklahoma.
One of the rooms upstairs even served as a basketball gymnasium for Cordell High School, Cordell Christian College and Cordell Academy from 1907 until the 1920’s.
“I remember when I was in junior high or high school and would go there with my brothers to eat pizza and play games,” said Lori Williams, Cordell resident. During the late 80’s into the early 90’s, the opera house served as The Family Pizza Inn, a place to enjoy good company and eat pizza.
“[Pizza Inn] was my father’s business and I worked there when I was in high school,” said Bob Busby.
The Dixie Opera House, or what was previously known as the Opera House Mall Antiques & Crafts, had been sitting empty for far too long when Cordell resident Julie Barnett saw its potential.
“My sister purchased the building for me, LGW Investments LLC, and I am the acting manager of the Opera House Mall. She has made my dreams come true and God has provided this. It’s really amazing,” said Barnett.
With hopes of returning life to a once vibrant and energetic building, Barnett plans to restore the opera house to its original intent.
“When I moved to town in May, I immediately started looking for venues where I would be able to do theatre. That is ultimately what I want to do here, host shows and live music,” stated Barnett. With the original ceiling, walls and flooring,
With the original ceiling, walls and flooring, Barnett said “After seeing its potential I was just speechless. It’s not wrecked, it’s just aged.”
Her intended use of the ground floor is to create a mall space to shop local vendors and small businesses. Barnett is hoping to have vendors available to shop by April 1st of this year.
Barnett continued to express her excitement for what is in store for the Opera House Mall. “The first phase is opening the mall, second phase will be opening an ice cream fountain, third phase is opening up a potato bar and lastly the fourth phase is to complete the upstairs.” Cordell can expect to see major improvements, live music and theatrical shows in the very near future.