Seymour stirs up efforts to save old auditorium - continued

"It's important to the community because of the history of the old auditorium," Talley said. "We're losing our history fast and something like this will help keep a bit of history that might otherwise go away."

Unlike other older buildings in town that are beyond salvaging, Studer said the auditorium is still in relatively good condition.

"This is one of the things we can save because it's so structurally sound," he said.

The building has a new roof and the windows were recently replaced. Previously, a stiff wind would blow the old ones open, Studer said.

"Pigeons would fly from light to light. We had the hardest time getting rid of them," he said.

Major projects in the renovations plans include putting in a new heating and cooling system to replace the old boiler. Studer said that current plans are to use the auditorium's original wooden seats, but to reduce the number from the original 600 or so to around 500 to accommodate handicapped-accessibility requirements.

The goal of the project, though, it not to restore the building just so it can look nice, Studer said. The goal is to help return the building to its prominence in the community as a gathering place, a place of celebration, the center of life in Seymour.

"We don't just want to preserve it to preserve it," Studer said. "We want it to be used and filled with activity."

Elvis almost left the building

One of the biggest stories swirling inside the Seymour City Hall Auditorium concerns the King of Rock 'n Roll himself.

Many Seymour residents were certain that Elvis performed inside the auditorium's walls, Seymour Economic Development Director John Studer said, so he dug to the bottom of the rumor.

Elvis did indeed perform a show in a Seymour auditorium in the early 1950s, but it was in the old high school auditorium, Studer said.

Legend has it that there was a lot of excitement surrounding the concert. Apparently, Elvis ran out of gas about 10 miles outside of Seymour and had to get a lift into town, according to local legend, Studer said. Elvis barely made the Seymour show and then he had to get a ride to Wichita Falls, where he was performing another gig.

Or so the story goes.

History of the site

The Metropolitan Opera House was originally on the site of the current Seymour City Hall, located at 301 N. Washington Street.

According to City of Seymour archives, the two-story black metal structure was used for a variety of purposes. It was home for many plays and performances that came to town, and the second floor auditorium was used to show the first picture shows in the city.

The first floor of the building housed commercial shops, including an auto repair business, a jewelry shop and a cabinet shop. The Young Men's Social Club occupied the second floor, turning that part of building into a private club where there were pool and dice tables, as well as a ballroom floor for dancing, according to the archives.

On May 4, 1923, the property was sold to the city for $6,000. Shortly afterward, the Opera House was destroyed and work on the new city hall began. The city hall and the current auditorium were completed in late 1924.

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