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This tour has opened in a new window, to return to the map close this window. Turners Falls Page 2 of 4 The late 19th century also saw growth and change in the downtown area, as commercial enterprises, as well as entertainment and social institutions developed. Commercial buildings were erected by individual businessmen during the 1870’s and 1880’s, and consisted largely of three and four story brick buildings with storefront entrances at grade and professional offices and tradesmen housed on the upper floors. Downtown Turners Falls was a vibrant place at the turn of the century. From 1895- 1934 an electric trolley ran up Avenue A on its route from Greenfield to Montague and Millers Falls. The Grand Trunk Hotel was among the most prominent buildings on the village’s main street. There were taverns, as well as the Colle Opera House (pictured left), which was the chief entertainment center of the village. The Opera House was built in 1874 and served as a vaudeville theater seating 1,000 people. As the endpoint of log drives down the Connecticut River, Turners Falls also earned notoriety as a frontier town, where lumbermen celebrated the end of long log drives drinking and brawling at one of the many taverns and bars. Today, many outstanding examples of late 19th century architecture survive in the Turners Falls Historic District which is listed on the National Historic Register. The Town of Montague has also made a concerted effort to preserve the village’s architectural heritage as part of its on-going revitalization effort. Prime examples of this preservation focus include the adaptive reuse of the Colle Opera House building and the restoration of the Cutlery Block (top right) and the Crocker Building (bottom right), the last of which was nearly destroyed by fire. These current projects build on earlier successful restoration efforts including the Shea Theater and Discovery Center buildings (below).  These efforts, combined with nearly four decades of stagnation, have preserved Turners Falls and contribute to the cohesive character and architectural integrity of this late nineteenth century New England industrial village.
The Shea Theater is a small, community, theater which builds on the tradition of the earlier Colle Opera House and former Shea. Owned by the Town of Montague and operated by a private non-profit group, the Shea provides a venue for year-round theater, featuring both Shakespearian and modern plays, Broadway musicals and musical performances by a variety of popular and traditional groups. Performances at the Shea Theater, which occur on most weekends, feature both local performing artists, from the Franklin County area, as well as regional and national talent. Turners Falls Page 2 of 4
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