Once-prominent community fixture engulfed by flames
The downtown blaze Saturday morning that left the former McMinnville Opera House ‘ one of McMinnville’s most treasured and historic buildings ‘ in rubble has delivered a devastating blow to Warren County history, made all the more tragic because it occurs in the year when the county is celebrating its bicentennial.
Fire officials have yet to determine the cause of the fire, but even so, building owner Mel Dixon says there is a possible darker side to this story.
‘Two weeks ago I filed a police report of vandalism,’ Dixon said. ‘Busting down doors and writing graffiti on the store buildings. Last Saturday my good friend Travis (McVey) called me into his business and it had been vandalized. They had even stolen his computer, trashed his bathrooms, tried to undo all the progress and repairs he had done. Of course, he was heartbroken.’
Though he doesn’t place blame, Dixon says he believes patrols should be increased in the downtown area to help protect property owners against this type of vandalism.
‘Sometimes if you stop it quickly,’ Dixon said, ‘then it won’t escalate.’
The fire is a major loss, both financially and emotionally, for everyone involved, but the destruction of the former McMinnville Opera House, an acknowledged landmark in the community, is particularly heartbreaking. Many say it signals the end of an era ‘ an end to a emblem of our storied past.
But this story also has a human side that goes beyond, but is yet a part of, the obvious loss to Warren County’s heritage.
For Mel and his wife Janice, Friday night’s tragedy signaled the end of a dream, a dream that would have restored the building, a symbol of Warren County culture from the time it was built by black entrepreneur William Houchin in 1888, to its former glory, making it a centerpiece once more.
‘I had restored the second floor,’ Dixon said yesterday as he watched a wrecking block bring down what was left of the walls. ‘I was working on the first floor,’ he added. ‘I had just stripped the stairs.’
Dixon says all the property owners had high hopes to restore the historic buildings in the area.
‘This block was going to be a showpiece,’ Dixon said. ‘We were all working so hard. I was hoping to have mine done and open it as a surprise for the celebration in July. I just can’t believe this.’
But despite the disaster, Dixon says he still has some things to be thankful for.
‘My wife and I are healthy and we survived,’ Dixon said. ‘And that was the most important thing.’
The couple was in their apartment on the second floor when the fire started.
‘I heard a crash and when I went to look there was already smoke and I knew the building was on fire,’ said Dixon. ‘I told my wife to call 911 and get out of there.’
Though many people may not realize it, the fire in the Dixon’s building represented a double blow to Warren County history, due to the loss of Mel’s extensive collection of military uniforms, flags, photographs and memorabilia.
‘I lost it all,’ Dixon said. ‘I just can’t believe it.’
But even though he lost his belongings and priceless collections, and his building could not be saved, Dixon said he is grateful to the firemen who worked through much of the night to control the blaze.
‘I appreciate them,’ Dixon said.
The McMinnville Opera House opened in mid-September of 1889 and quickly became the center of entertainment in town. According to Heritage Alliance board member Bruce Atnip, the building’s history paralleled the growth of McMinnville as a cultural center.
‘It was originally built by a black gentlemen named William ‘Bill’ Houchin in the late 1800s in a time when the black community wasn’t thought of as rich and affluent,’ Atnip said. ‘It was built to be an opera house with shops downstairs and the opera on the second floor. The top floor was an apartment for Mr. Houchin.
‘It continued for many years,’ Atnip added. ‘It was the first place that motion pictures were ever shown in McMinnville. Magic lantern shows, the 1800s version of slide shows, were shown there on many occasions. It was a very beautiful building. And with the Dixons losing their home and their personal collection, it’s just a great loss to our local history here in McMinnville.’