{"nrhp_refnum":"84000774","name":"Reedley Opera House Complex","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"10th and G Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Reedley","county":"Fresno County","state":"CA","lat":36.597020658000076,"lon":-119.45184171499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-04-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture","Social History","Performing Arts"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick commercial building complex built in 1903 at 10th and G Streets in downtown Reedley, Fresno County, California. It is L-shaped, about 150 feet long, with an opera house forming the base and a bank, drug store and harness shop in the remainder.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it one of the finest examples of turn-of-the-century brick commercial architecture in the community. It was designed and built by local entrepreneur Jesse Jansen after the 1902 fire destroyed downtown Reedley, and it served as the town's cultural and social gathering place. It also combined a theatre with commercial uses, including the town's major bank.","narrative":"Built in 1903 at 10th and G Streets in downtown Reedley, this L-shaped brick complex combined an opera house with a bank, a drug store and a harness shop. Jesse Jansen, a Danish-born grain agent and real estate and insurance dealer, designed and built it after a 1902 fire burned the town's two main blocks of wooden buildings. He reused brick from a damaged store and encouraged other merchants to rebuild in brick. The facade has segmentally arched openings, shallow piers capped with tin finials, and bricks in five colors made in Reedley. Inside, the Opera House seated over 300 with portable seating, so the hall could quickly become a dance floor, church, boxing arena or social hall. It hosted traveling companies, plays, band concerts, graduations, revivals and town meetings until silent films arrived in 1912. Later alterations, including removal of a parapet arch in the 1950s, have largely been reversed, and the building is valued as an example of early commercial architecture and community life.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Jesse Jansen","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied; many alterations have been reversed to restore the historic appearance. Supporting letters describe plans to return the Opera House to its original use with a restaurant and restored stage.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.8454-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/84000774.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000774/f945c5468b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84000774/f945c5468b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Bobak Ha'Eri","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0725-CA-ReedleyOperaHouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bobak Ha'Eri</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0725-CA-ReedleyOperaHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858685","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133261480"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/fresno-county/reedley-opera-house-complex-84000774/"}