Celebrating 10 years since its grand restoration, the Delphi Opera House shines as a vibrant hub for arts, history, and community in the heart of downtown Delphi, Indiana. Not a place of government, it was named for the grand event hall on its third floor that opened with a ball honoring returning Civil War soldiers. With the rising popularity later in the century of opera houses—not necessarily settings for opera, but for a variety of live performances—the upper-story hall was remodeled by local merchants John Lathrope, also a cornet player and Civil War infantry band captain, and John Ruffing, who constructed several Delphi buildings. They named the performance space the Lathrope & Ruffing Opera House. The first to perform on stage, on April 7, 1882, was soprano singer Marie Litta and the Litta Grand Opera Company. Among the performers were Hi Henry’s Minstrels, the Delphi Dramatic Club and Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley. In 1914, fire safety concerns prompted the end of entertainment because of the building’s lone stairway. While the lower floors continued to house retailers and offices over the years, including Ruffing Music Store, Wynkoop’s Pharmacy, a grocery and utility company, the third floor was simply abandoned. Paint peeled away, wallpaper fell to shards and cobwebs covered the space. Today, that building still stands, its third-floor performance space unused and untouched for nearly 100 years. As the dreams and investments of early settlers are being revived and the new Hoosier Heartland Highway is opening, Delphi expects to see growth in business, industry, newcomers and visitors. The Delphi Opera House will be a key 21st-century addition to the community and to some 370,000 people living within 50 miles. It will serve residents, attract visitors and enhance Delphi’s economic viability.
