Taylor Opera House

Taylor Opera House was an opera house in Trenton, New Jersey. It was the city's first theater, and was founded by John Taylor, creator of Pork Roll and one of Trenton's leading citizens. The building first opened March 18, 1867 at 18 S. Broad Street. A historical marker was placed on the site after its demolition.[1]

Democratic State Convention of 1877 at the Opera House

The theater presented the major speakers and performers of the day, including Mark Twain, Ethel Barrymore, and George M. Cohan, and played host to political conventions, Bible conferences, musical revues and local meetings and events. It hosted the inaugurations of Governor George B. McClellan in 1877, and Woodrow Wilson in 1910,[2] James F. Fielder in 1914[3] and Walter Evans Edge in 1917.[4]

In 1921, it was converted into a movie and vaudeville palace known as Keith's Capitol Theatre; after later sales it was renamed the RKO International.

The theater was razed by its next door neighbor (the Trenton Saving Fund Society) to create a parking lot in 1969.[5]

A mural that was originally displayed at the opera house was rediscovered after a search began in 2021. Painted by George Matthews Harding in 1921 titled, "Washington Crossing the Delaware", the 16x10 foot painting was lost after it was put into storage having been deemed too large to display at another museum.[6]

References
  1. Historical Marker Database: Taylor Opera House
  2. Trenton Historical Society
  3. "FIELDER IN TO-MORROW.; Jersey's New Governor to Take Oath of Office at Noon.", The New York Times, January 19, 1914. Accessed December 29, 2007. "At midnight to-morrow New Jersey will have a new Governor, James F. Fielder of Jersey City, but he will not take the oath of office until Tuesday at noon.... The Legislature will assemble at the State House shortly before 12 o'clock on Tuesday and then proceed to the Taylor Opera House."
  4. "EDGE IN OFFICE TOMORROW.; Inaugural in Opera House;-Parade and Social Affairs.", The New York Times, January 15, 1917. Accessed December 29, 2007. "Everything is ready for the inauguration here Tuesday of Walter E. Edge of Atlantic City, Republican, as Governor of New Jersey. The induction ceremonies will be held in the Taylor Opera House."
  5. Modica, Glenn R. "Trenton Saving Fund Society Archived 2006-11-16 at the Wayback Machine", Trenton Downtowner. January 2006
  6. Kindy, Dave (March 19, 2023). "Long-lost mural of George Washington found rolled up in a basement". The Washington Post. The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 4, 2023.

40.2196°N 74.7638°W / 40.2196; -74.7638

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