A Reprieve for Watseka’s Opera House

The historic Stevens Brothers Opera House in Watseka has been given a reprieve. The structure, built in 1884, was well on its way to being demolished because of needed repairs, but was saved from the wrecking ball this week when the Watseka City Council voted to make the repairs, specifically a new roof.  A group dedicated to saving the structure hopes to repurpose the opera house as a community space and believe it could eventually pay for its own upkeep in the future.  In The past the theater has been used as a basketball court, a JC Penny and a roller rink.