Piper's Opera House in Virginia City, often visited by Mark Twain, was  
built on railroad car coil springs so it wouldn't be shaken to pieces by burly  
miners dancing in their heavy boots. Bob Stewart
 
 
In a message dated 12/1/2011 7:00:41 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

Forum  -

Re:  Sharon McCoy comment - ". . .  most theatres were on  the second =
floor for=20
some reason I still can't fathom . . .  "

In reference to why theaters were sometimes located on the 2nd floor,  =
the answer lies
likely on the 1st floor. How was the 1st floor being  used? Building use =
would follow
the flow of highest economic benefit.  Theaters were often used =
sporadically, not=20
daily. Therefore it  would be more economically useful to have the 1st =
floor for  a=20
business that was in daily use, like a store, or a hotel  lobby.=20

In downtown Brattleboro, there were three 2nd floor spaces  used for =
dances,=20
performances, meetings, and entertainments. Two  were above hotel =
lobbies,=20
the 3rd was above a  store.

Kit
The Ephemera Archive for American Studies
Brattleboro,  Vermont=