165 years of Wilmington's Thalian Hall: A timeline of important dates from history

With Thalian Hall welcoming its new director, Shane Fernando, on Jan. 1, let's take a look back at some key dates from the history of the Wilmington venue and city hall.

1855: Cornerstone is laid for Thalian Hall/City Hall on Dec. 27 on the site of the former Innes Academy, which also had a theater. The Innes name lives on in the form of Innes Park, the grassy area to the south of Thalian Hall.

1858: With construction on much of the building still ongoing, the first show on the Thalian Hall stage, an "exhibition of the scholars of Mr. Frensley’s dancing school," is held April 6.

1858: Grand opening held Oct. 12 with plays "The Honey-Moon" and "The Loan of a Lover." Original seating area in the theater or "opera house" allowed for 1,000 patrons, some 350 more than today. The building is the only surviving theater designed by 19th century architect John Montague Trimble.

1860: After initially being managed by a predecessor of today's Thalian Association Community Theatre, which raised much of the money for the Hall's construction, the theater portion of the building will pass on to a series of private promoters for the next 75 years. From 1867 to 1871 the theater was leased by John T. Ford (of Ford's Theatre fame in Washington, D.C.), who changes its named to The Opera House.

1872: Famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who was formerly enslaved, speaks upstairs at Thalian Hall in the area currently known as Wilmington City Council Chambers or "the ballroom."

1875: William "Buffalo Bill" Cody performs at Thalian Hall. He will return in 1878.

1882: British author Oscar Wilde ("The Importance of Being Earnest") speaks at Thalian Hall.

1884: The actor Maurice Barrymore, great-grandfather of Drew Barrymore, performs in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

1897: American composer John Philip Sousa and his band perform at Thalian Hall. He will return in 1908.

1898: Alfred Moore Waddell, who represented North Carolina in the House of Representatives from 1871 to 1879 and was a former mayor of Wilmington, gives a speech in Thalian Hall railing against "Negro rule" in North Carolina. In the speech, which has been blamed for inciting violence against Blacks, dozens of who were killed in attacks on Nov. 10, Waddell said, "If we have to choke the current of the Cape Fear with carcasses ... Negro domination shall henceforth be only a shameful memory."

1906: Wilmington public library moves into the current ballroom space. It will remain there until 1956, when it moves to the Wilmington Light Infantry building at Fourth and Market streets.

1909: Under the supervision of Wilmington architect Henry Bonitz, Thalian Hall undergoes substantial renovations. The old side balconies are removed, and the current ornate proscenium arch installed. According to Thalian Hall's website, "It was during this period that the name was changed from 'The Opera House' to the 'Academy of Music.'"

1929: Current version of the Thalian Association Community Theatre (the fifth group to bear the name, according to Thalian Hall records) is formed and begins staging shows at Thalian Hall.

1941: After some calls for its demolition in the the late 1930s, Thalian Hall reopens after three years of renovations with a production by the Thalian Association.

1958: Thalian Hall celebrates its centennial with a gala Oct. 12, including a performance of the 19th century farce "Box and Cox," first staged there in 1858.

1973: A small fire damages the theater. After renovations, it reopens in 1975.

1979: Tony Rivenbark takes over as director of Thalian Hall. He will remain in his post until his death in 2022.

1983: The Hall's 125th anniversary gala, "Remembered Nights," brings Broadway actor Lou Criscuolo to Wilmington. In 1985, Criscuolo and Mary James Morgan form Opera House Theatre Co., taking its name for the former name of Thalian Hall. Opera House still performs in the space.

1983: Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., the nonprofit that manages the Hall for the city of Wilmington, is formed. It was formerly named the Thalian Hall Commission.

1990: Hall reopens after extenstive renovations add the current lobby, studio theater and upstairs offices.

2008: 150th anniversary celebration events include a performance of "Box and Cox," with Rivenbark in one of the starring roles.

2022: Tony Rivenbark dies, Rob Zapple becomes interim director.

2023: Shane Fernando named new director of Thalian Hall.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: History timeline of Thalian Hall in Wilmington