Maddock Opera House

A local building stood for just over one hundred years before the city of Maddock considered tearing it down.
Eight years later, the building is the main attraction.
Hannah Davis has the story.
When you walk down Main Street in Maddock, North Dakota, the Harriman Building stands out above the rest.
But it wasn’t always for a good reason.
“When I was here as a young girl, I remember it being a -we’ll say hardware store. That kind of just deteriorated through the years and then eventually the hardware store closed and the building was forgotten and there was talk of it being demolished. Until a group of people, not me, but a very wise group of people that got together and decided it would be worth saving.” said Rachel Markestad, President of the Maddock Opera House Association.
“The biggest renovation was probably downstairs. Because, at that point, the whole building was in disrepair. And so getting the roof in order to be water tight was the first step.” said Gregg Davidson, Member of Board of Directors.
The building was nearly demolished, but thanks to volunteers, the building is revitalized and will now be a hub of activity for the town of Maddock.
“It’s become one of the main features of Maddock. We’re proud of a number of our buildings here, but this certainly adds to our small town in a very big way.” said Gregg Davidson, Member of Board of Directors.
“We hope families gather. Businesses could have meetings. Productions, not on a weekly basis, by any means, but -you know- a couple of theatre productions a year. So that’s -I guess that’s what I’m looking forward to the most. This sort of signifies the beginning of a new future for us, I think.” said Rachel Markestad, President of the Maddock Opera House Association.
Town members closed off Main Street for games and face painting.
Later on there was even a dance in the opera house, to kick off the new era.
“It’s a good thing. Again, it’s been eight years in the making and it’s time to -it’s time to celebrate and have a little fun here and dedicate our building.” said Gregg Davidson, Member of Board of Directors.
In Maddock, Hannah Davis, KX News.
The first floor of the Harriman Building was opened in 2013 and contains a restaurant, bar, and public library.
Now the second floor with the opera house is open.