February 15, 1884
The building opened on February 13, 1884, with a Masquerade Ball. On Friday, February 15, 1884, the Middlebury Register reported the gala event. An exceptionally pleasant company of about fifty couples gathered at the new town hall on Wednesday evening for the eleventh annual masquerade party. The costumes were more varied and elaborate than on any previous occasion of the same character. The unmasking, which took place at 10 o’clock, was highly entertaining…This was the first time the new town hall had been used, and afforded a good opportunity for the public to see the building. The gallery and stage were filled with spectators.
February 1, 1884Early 1922
Early in 1922, P.S. Murray took over the reins of the Opera House from J.M. Peek. The following year, the Town ordered a complete overhaul of the 40-year-old building to adapt it to the new requirements of a movie theater.
February 1, 1922March 1937
In March 1937, the theater was closed again in order to prepare the building to meet its first serious challenge — the opening of the Campus Theater on Main Street. The Campus was not only a fully modernized movie house, it was a member of the Graphics Theater circuit, theaters throughout New England that exhibited first-run films and offered two matinees and two evening shows daily.
March 1, 1937