FALLON THEATER.
(AKA: Cardinell Building, Gunn Saloon, Fallon Hall, Conlin's Hall, Kress Hall, Box Office.)
1857
© Columbia State Historic Park.
The Theatre entrance 1947
Originally 2 lots, the eastern section has the Ticonic Hotel.
1852 A. M. Hill and C. Goss sell to Joseph Hill the lot and the wood building.
1853 June - the lot and building are sold to G. F. Tribow of Jamestown.
1853 August - sells to Isaac Shotwell.
1854 Sells to Daniel B. Denning.
1855 Sells to S. H. Morse.
The western section was the site of John Leary's house.
1856 Charles Cardinell buys Leary's lot on which he starts to build a 2 story brick structure, he also buys the Ticonic lot (where present Columbia Gazette display stands) and mortgages it to James A. Cowan.
1856 October - Cardinell mortgages the lot to Isaac Shotwell, and starts building an assembly hall.
1856 Cardinell again mortgages the lot.
1857 Cardinell sells a half interest in the unfinished brick building to Cowan.
1858 Cardinell and wife sells the other half interest in the unfinished building and all of the completed structure to O.C. Gunn.
1861 The building is damaged in the fire and not repaired. The shell was sold to Pascoe.
1863 Gunn sells shell to H. S. Donnelly.
1864 By this time, Fallon owns the shell.
© Columbia State Historic Park.
Back of the Fallon - west, Cardinell building and "empty shell" (behind wheel) - 1866.
1867 The site is mined, only part of the wall fronting Washington Street remains.
1886 Built by James Fallon. He may have incorporated the 1871 hall. The entrance is through the shell of the Gunn Saloon. It is known as a hall and not a theater.
1889-90 Conlin's Hall, Tom Conlin had dressing rooms and galleries installed.
1890-91 Edward G. Kress jacks up the floor and inserts spring cushions under the floor, covers the walkway between the brick building and theater entrance, enlarges the stage and has green rooms underneath. He also finishes the interior decorations.
1901-21 Same owners as the hotel.
1921-28 Smiths and Peters cut down the stage to enlarge the dance floor. On Saturday nights they hold dances with music by the Tuolumne County Orchestra and occasionally show movies. Seats are wooden benches and the hall is lit by kerosene lanterns.
1928-49 Same owners as the hotel.
1949 Plays by College of the Pacific drama students, at the beginning the sets were built in Stockton and moved to Columbia. Seats were folding chairs until permanent seats were donated by a theater in Stockton and installed in the early 1950s.
1984 Restored and reopened.
c1983 to 1997 Columbia Actors Repertory produced seasons at the Fallon Theatre.
c1987 Fall - Sierra Repertory Theatre began producing.
Fallon Theatre
209 532-3120
Sierra Repertory Theatre
email: admin@sierrarep.org
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Floyd D. P. Øydegaard.
Email contact:
fdpoyde3 (at) Yahoo (dot) com
A WORK IN PROGRESS,
created for the visitors to the Columbia State Historic park.
© Columbia State Historic Park & Floyd D. P. Øydegaard.