Stafford Bank and Opera House
a.k.a. R. E. Stafford's Building
Milan and Spring Sts., Columbus, TXThe Stafford Opera House and Bank Building were completed in 1886 by R. E. (Bob) Stafford (1834-1890). Stafford was a millionaire cattleman, banker, and industrialist. He erected the Stafford Building at a cost of $50,000 plus an additional $10,000 for the curtain, wings, and stage equipment.
The first floor housed the Stafford bank and the second floor was intended as an opulent theater. The marble cornerstone set the style and tone for this remarkable Nicholas J. Clayton composition. The upper left corner contains a steer's head chiseled in relief with a lasso looped over its horns. Beneath this, some crisscrossed lines resemble grass or hay; and in the upper right corner, a hand holds a short piece of rope. In the lower-left corner, N. J. Clayton, architect, has been etched, while in the lower right the name of J. F. Tamon, Superintendent, appears. Diagonally across the center, "R. E. Stafford's Building" is written and under it, the date 1886. 1 The Stafford Opera was the cultural center of the region surrounding Columbus. The opera house held 1,000 seats with 600 on the floor and 100 on the balcony. Its opening production featured the famous Miss Lillian Russell in a play called "As In a Looking Glass." Special trains brought people from surrounding towns for the three-night run of Miss Russell's play.
The opera house continued in use from 1886 to 1916. The Opera House was in a circuit with Houston, Galveston, San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Dallas, and El Paso, consequently, a large variety of the best plays and other forms of entertainment that came to Texas were viewed in Columbus. Among the nationally famous entertainers who appeared there were Al Jolson, Houdini, and Creston Clarke in Hamlet.
Between theatrical performances, the Opera House was used by local citizens for school events, amateur plays, and dances. The Opera House was closed in 1916 and the building was reopened in 1918 as the first Ford agency in Columbus. The lower floor has continued in use as the Ford automobile agency. The upper floor was used in the 1940s for a roller skating business, and later, the stage area was converted into six apartments.
In 1969, under the auspices of the John Everett chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, the State Historical Survey Committee placed an official Historical Medallion on the "R. E. Stafford's Building," for the purpose of commemorating it as a fine example of Victorian architecture.
At the present time, the structure has been purchased by Magnolia Homes Tours, Incorporated, of Columbus, and a historic preservation grant from the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation is being requested to help with the restoration of the structure.
Once restored, the Opera House will once again play a prominent role in the cultural life of the community.
Bibliography
Official Texas Historical Marker file, Texas State Historical Survey Committee.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.