At 140, the Stafford Opera House Spends Its Mondays on Dominoes
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
R. E. Stafford built his bank and opera house on Spring Street in 1886 and lived in the house right next door. According to the Columbus Historical Preservation Trust, people said he could watch the performances on his stage from his bedroom window.
That view lasted about 30 years. The last performance of the building's first era came in 1916. Over the 110 years since, the Stafford has spent far more time as other things than as a theater.
That history explains the 140th anniversary year now winding down at 425 Spring St. The year opened with an auction, raised money for structural repairs, and brought in a weekly game night in a side room. On an ordinary Monday this fall, people come in for dominoes and Mahjong more often than for curtain calls. That fits the building. Columbus has kept the Stafford standing by finding new uses for it.
Stafford was a cattleman. CHPT notes that the cornerstone still shows a steer head and lariat. The ground floor held a bank and a dry goods store, and the theater took up the second floor. The National Register nomination credits the design to architect Nicholas J. Clayton. It names the opening production as Lillian Russell in "As in a Looking Glass," and Al Jolson and Houdini appear in its list of performers.
After that era ended, the building moved through a run of uses that few people would guess from the outside:
| Period | What the building was |
|---|---|
| 1886 to 1916 | Bank and dry goods store downstairs, theater upstairs |
| From 1918 | Columbus's first Ford agency on the first floor |
| Between eras | Arena for basketball games and boxing matches, then a roller skating rink |
| Late World War II | Private apartments built into the second-floor stage area |
| 1972 | Bought for $30,000 by Magnolia Homes Tour, Inc., now CHPT |
| 1973 | Listed on the National Register of Historic Places |
| 1990 | Rededicated after 18 years and $1.3 million of restoration |
The table holds a quiet milestone. The restored Stafford reopened in 1990, so its current life has run 36 years. That is longer than the 30 years it spent as a theater in its first life.
The table also has a gap that the anniversary year filled in. According to a Banner Press preview, the family of Elvera Willrodt Kahlich owned the building in the 1950s. Her memories were set to anchor this year's History Forum.
Even the name is borrowed. CHPT says no evidence has turned up that an opera was ever performed on its stage. "Opera house" was the common label for a live theater in that period.
What the building does have is a rare floor plan. According to CHPT, the Grand Hall originally seated 600 people on the main floor, with room for 400 more in the balcony. CHPT calls it the largest flat-floored opera house in Texas and the only one still standing in the state. The building cost $50,000 in 1886, plus another $10,000 for the curtain, wings, and stage equipment.
The flat floor has a lot to do with the building's long run. A raked theater floor suits one purpose. A level hall could hold a car dealership, basketball, boxing, and roller skates, and it still works for banquets and community events. The Texas Historical Commission's listing cites the building's significance in both architecture and performing arts. Its practical value has come from the room's ability to change uses.
A brick building with heavy timber trusses over its second floor needs money in every decade. CHPT launched its Save Our Opera House capital campaign in September 2023. According to the Colorado County Citizen, the goal was $700,000 for a new roof, structural reinforcement, and elevator repairs. At launch, the campaign had $30,000 raised and a $100,000 matching pledge set aside for the elevator.
The money came in faster than that starting point suggested:
As of that June 2025 report, completed work included a full elevator modernization with a period-style interior, structural masonry repairs, exterior painting, and renovated third-floor bathrooms for performers and crew. Roof repairs and HVAC upgrades for the Grand Hall were underway, and more restrooms were planned for that summer. That report is the most recent published update on the campaign's progress. The phases scheduled for 2025 may have changed since then.
The Citizen quoted Wintermann Foundation President Jack Johnson on the matching drive:
"I have seen many successful matching campaigns, but this was one of the best. Truly a remarkable achievement."
The fundraising also set the shape of the anniversary year. The Community Roots online auction ran April 29 through May 3, 2026, with more than 40 items donated by local businesses and community members. CHPT made it the official kickoff of the 140th celebration, and all proceeds went to the Save Our Opera House campaign. Board President Julie Prause told the Citizen the goal was a landmark that could "serve Columbus for another 140 years."
Restoration money keeps the building standing. Regular use keeps people coming back to it. In September, CHPT announced Monday game nights at the Stafford from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Buddy Rau Room. CHPT said it would have these on hand:
CHPT invited community members to play with friends or with strangers. The Citizen's recurring events listing from Sept. 24 lists the game night every Monday, 5 to 8 p.m., and invites attendees to bring their own games. It lists no admission price.
Across the building's history, the game night fits in easily. Upstairs has held basketball and roller skating, and downstairs has held a bank and a car showroom. The Stafford's survival has depended on the second category of uses as much as the first. The game night is a small new use, and it gives the building a reason to be open every week.
The anniversary's most personal event fell on a Monday too. CHPT's 2026 History Forum, "Echoes of the Opera House," was scheduled for Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Buddy Rau Room. Admission was free, and no registration was required. According to the Citizen's announcement, guest speaker Elvera Kahlich would share stories from the years her father owned the building, joined by her daughters Elizabeth Lauzon and Frances Lancaster. The program also included the annual presentation of the Laura Ann Rau Historic Preservation Award, which recognizes a local preservation project or individual.
Executive Director Leslie Kinnear told the Citizen it was her first History Forum with CHPT. "I think we'll all be transported back in time," she said.
The Kahlich family's 1950s ownership falls in the middle stretch of the building's life, between the Ford agency and the restoration. No Clayton drawing or Lillian Russell playbill records those years. The forum was built around that period, putting it on the program alongside 1886.
The Stafford is one of four historic properties CHPT owns and maintains in Columbus. The others are the Alley Log Cabin and Antique Tool Museum, the Dilue Rose Harris House Museum, and the Santa Claus Museum. The trust's board is all volunteers. For anyone in town on a Monday this November, the game night runs 5 to 8 p.m. at 425 Spring St. Campaign details are on the CHPT website.
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