New tenant begins operations in Earlville Opera House storefront

EARLVILLE , N.Y.— After some renovation work, the Earlville Opera House (EOH) has a new tenant that will generate rental income for the organization.

The new shop called The 3 Olde Hags had its grand opening Dec. 5, per an EOH news release. It’s an arts and crafts variety store that has “everything you thought you never needed,” the store boasts.

The Earlville Opera House is located at 18 E. Main St. in Earlville.

The project served a “dual purpose” of preserving the 1892 EOH building while providing rental income to help sustain the EOH’s artistic mission. 

The EOH used $15,000 in grant funding to renovate one of the storefronts in its facility for its new tenant. The Pickert-Hickok Fund of Community Foundation for South Central NY provided the funding.

EOH used the grant money to restore the storefront to a rentable space, Michelle Connelly, executive director of the Earlville Opera House, told CNYBJ in an email.

The work included the installation of an electric heating system; replacing old plumbing; upgrading the electric system and circuits; new lighting; ceiling repair, floor finishing; and painting.

The project involved a local contractor who overhauled the electric system in the space, along with volunteers that included architects, electricians, plumbers, construction contractors, engineers and community planners, according to Connelly. 

About the Earlville Opera House

The EOH was founded in 1972 as a nonprofit, volunteer-based, community-service organization with a dual mission: to promote the arts in a rural region of Central New York by offering programs of cultural, educational, and historical significance; and to preserve and restore the architectural and historic integrity of the EOH, a unique second-story theater constructed in 1892. 

EOH programs include a wide range of eclectic culturally diverse visual and performing arts programs represented through rotating gallery exhibitions, a live-performance series, arts workshops, classes, and arts-education opportunities for all populations. 

The EOH was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the organization said.