Dawson Opera House

The Dawson Opera House was erected in 1906 for the mining community of Dawson, New Mexico, which was in the hills southwest of today’s Raton. Designed by Trost & Trost, it was a Mission Revival/Spanish eclectic blend, with two stories and a 1,000 person seating capacity. The building also housed a Bowling Alley and some of the Phelps-Dodge corporate offices. The building was demolished circa 1950 when the mine closed, and the town was deserted. Interestingly, the city of Dawson was the fourth-largest city in New Mexico when this building was completed as Mew Mexico’s largest Theatre.

For more information, including some detailed history of the area mining operation and a narrative describing the tragic mining accidents there, please see https://www.facebook.com/TrostSociety/posts/2265965350188185

Photographs courtesy of Legends of America at https://www.legendsofamerica.com/

— Mark Stone

Other Names:
Type: Theater
Construction Date: Jan 1, 1906
Address: Dawson, NM, USA
Condition: Demolished