Curtain to rise again soon for renovated Opera House in Kennett

KENNETT, Mo. -- Although the December opening date was missed, the father and son team of Frank and Jake Crafton are hard at work on the former James Kahn Department Store, renovating it into "an elegant banquet hall" and dubbing it "The Opera House."

According to Frank Crafton, the original name of the structure was The Opera House, as it was used to host various types of entertainment for the Kennett residents when it was constructed in 1896. It later became the James Kahn Department Store before shutting down in January 1998. Since its closing, the building has been sitting idle.

After buying the set of three buildings about a year ago, the Craftons went to work to breathe life back into the massive structure sitting on the downtown square.

According to the Craftons, they have tried to keep as much of the original structure as possible.

New plumbing and electrical work has been installed throughout the structure and the workers have recently stripped the floor down to the original hardwood, which has been sanded and awaits staining.

New chandeliers and a sound system have been installed, and, according to Frank Crafton, the hall will be open for business by late January.

Once completed, Crafton said, the banquet hall will be available for dances, meetings, wedding receptions, luncheons and other group activities.

The building next door will be used as two additional rooms for the banquet hall, allowing potential renters to choose from three sizes.

When the project if finalized the new life of The Opera House will be christened with a new life, as DeeDee Binkard, sister of Jake and daughter of Frank, will host her baby shower as the hall's first event Jan. 24.

An open house event will be held for The Opera House in late February.