Sumter Town Hall-Opera House

National Register Listing

Street Address:

N. Main St., Sumter, SC (Sumter County)

Alternate Name:

Sumter Academy of Music

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NRHP Nomination

Record Number:

S10817743025

Description and Narrative:

(Sumter Academy of Music) The Sumter Town Hall-Opera House has served as a center of both entertainment and political service for the citizens of the Sumter area. An example of Richardson Romanesque architecture constructed in 1893, the Sumter Town Hall-Opera House is one of the most outstanding structures of downtown Sumter. The clock tower serves as a focal point for the entire area. The Town Hall was the first permanent home of city government in Sumter. In 1912, Sumter became one of the first municipalities in the United States to adopt the council-manager form of government. Sumter’s first theater was located on the second floor. This structure housed many of the traveling road shows that toured the country in the late nineteenth century. Listed in the National Register May 24, 1973.

Period of Significance:

1893

Level of Significance:

Local

Area of Significance:

Politics/Government;Architecture;Performing Arts

National Register Determination:

listed

Date of Certification:

May 24 1973

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