DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my take on what the official marker has to say about this one — and it's a good one. Now, picture Sherman, Texas, in 1881. Somebody had to step up and give this town a proper stage.
That somebody was Captain L. F. Ely, and he didn't just build an opera house — he made the bricks himself, right there in his city factory.
Three stories tall, twin cupolas reaching up into the Grayson County sky, this was a Victorian structure that meant business. The interior? Carpeted aisles.
Damask curtains. Red plush seats. Sherman was not messin' around.
But here's the part I love — if you couldn't afford the red plush treatment, you headed up to the economy section. And the folks up there had earned themselves a nickname that nobody was disputin': the Buzzard Roost. You could look down on all that velvet from up there, and I imagine the view of the stage was just fine.
From 1881 all the way through 1918, that opera house helped make Sherman a genuine cultural center. The very first show to grace that stage was the operetta The Mikado. After that came Shakespearean plays, musical reviews, temperance lectures — and trained animal acts.
Now there's a bill of fare. Something for every taste in the house, Buzzard Roost included. The curtain finally came down in 1918, and in 1961 the old building was remodeled for commercial use.
But Captain Ely's bricks — the ones he made himself — those are still there. Some things, once built right, just refuse to disappear entirely.
What the marker says
Formerly a 3-story Victorian structure with twin cupolas. Built by Capt. L. F. Ely, who made the bricks in his city factory. Lavish interior had carpeted aisle, damask curtains and red plush seats. Benches in economy section were called the "Buzzard Roost". From its completion (1881) until closing (1918), it helped make Sherman a cultural center. First show was operetta "The Mikado". Also given here were Shakespearean plays, musical reviews, temperance lectures and trained animal acts. Remodeled (1961) for commercial use. Original bricks remain.