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“It is a historical building,” Erwin said of the opera house. “A few years ago they decided to tear it down and put up a metal building and some of us just hated to see that because it is kind of a town landmark.”
The group then got to work to save the opera house, she said. They have raised money in a variety of different ways, Erwin said. They have collected small donations along with big ones and they have won grants for the project.
Anyone interested in donating should contact the historical society. She said if anyone donates $300,000 the historical society will name the building after them.
The group’s goal is to start the renovations in the beginning of January, Erwin said, and be finished by the end of 2018.
The opera house will feature a theater and council offices.
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This isn’t the first time a group has tried to restore the West Liberty Opera House, Erwin said. The theater fell into disrepair in 1945 and in 1985 a group tried to get together and fix the building. However, because of costs, the plan fell through.
Another group also tried about 10 years ago to renovate it, she said, and this current effort is an extension of that.
Erwin said she hopes the opera house continues to be a place for people to gather and she sees it as a place that can be rented out for wedding receptions and business meetings.
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“We want to see it as a gem in the community that was,” she said. “It was old and falling apart and we want it to be back to new uses and carry on in the future.”
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