Raising the roof

Saving the Historic Howells Opera house

Thank you for your support!

In August 2021, some of the attic trusses were splitting members and the ceiling had become detached from the bottom of those trusses. Idaho Heritage truss was contacted and they recommended a historical engineer and historical architect. The theatre was voluntarily closed due to safety concerns. In November the fund raising began.

2022: McCain Foods committed to team with OVAC on the ceiling/roof project. Gary Jones Construction committed to do the work. Seats were moved in the main auditorium to the stage.

2023: Idaho Hydro Jetting was able to remove the rest of attic insulation. We continued to fund raise. Katherine Kirk and Shannon Sardell from IHT inspected the attic condition. It was found that maybe the ceiling could be raised from above. Trusses were ordered in August. Gary Jones Construction had a window open in September and the rafters/roof were removed and new trusses/roof was placed. Contractors shingled, soffit, rain gutter, and most recently the attic was insulated!

2024: With your support this daunting task was completed through your generous donations by individuals, businesses, and grants. We can’t thank each one of you enough!

The legacy of our opera house

You can learn more about what this historic structure means to our community in a new video series now on YouTube.

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