Enough funds raised to start FOH repairs
“We’re going home” — Blake Potthoff, Fairmont Opera House
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FAIRMONT-- On Saturday, July 25, ahead of the opening matinee performance of the Fairmont Area Community Theater (FACT) production of "Annie," Fairmont Opera House (FOH) Executive Director Blake Potthoff shared that enough funds have been raised to start making necessary repairs to the historic building and thus reopen the facility.
Potthoff, along with the Opera House board members, stood on the stage of the Performing Arts Center at Fairmont High School while the announcement was made.
"We are here today to let you know that thanks to two transformational gifts, we have raised enough money to start construction at the Fairmont Opera House," Potthoff said.
The crowd gathered for the performance erupted in applause as Potthoff continued.
"We've been closed for two and a half years, since December 2023. We can finally say, 'we're going to go home,'" Potthoff said. "We're going to go home."
He thanked all of those who have donated in any amount to the Opera House.
"Your support helped make this happen. Your support helped us get to the goal we had to start the construction, about $3, $3.5 million dollars," Potthoff said.
The Opera House had launched its Capital Campaign in July of 2024 at which point it announced that $4 million would need to be raised in order to make necessary repairs on the roof and supporting structure of the 125-year-old building.
It was originally said that the money needed to be raised by the end of 2025. However, on Dec. 31, 2025, it was shared that the board of directors had decided to extend the deadline for an unspecified amount of time to continue to raise money.
On Saturday, Potthoff specifically thanked the Rosen Family Foundation and the Bryan and Mary Beth Sweet Foundation.
In a program that was handed out, the Rosen Family Foundation was listed under Capital Campaign Supporters as "headliners," meaning they donated $1 million plus and the Bryan and Mary Beth Sweet Foundation was listed as "In the Spotlight," donating between $500,000 and $999,999. Others who gave a considerable amount were also listed as "In the Front Row," giving between $100,000 and $249,000.
A statement from the Rosen Family Foundation reads: “The Fairmont Opera House has played an important role in the cultural life of this community for generations. The Rosen Family Foundation is proud to support the Preserve the Legacy, Enrich the Future campaign and help ensure this historic gathering place continues to inspire, educate and connect people for years to come.”
Bryan Sweet said of his gift, "(We're) excited to get this historic building that has brought so many memories to people back to a pristine self. I've been involved with the Opera House for over 25 years and glad we can make this a showcase again in the future."
He added that Fairmont needs some positive news and that maybe this will get other momentum happening in the city.
With the $3- $3.5 million that has been raised being enough to start the construction process, Potthoff said that they're in the process of developing architectural plans and designs right now.
He said that this fall they'll be removing anything that can be moved out of the Opera House into storage.
"There will be some work going on to prep everything yet this fall," Potthoff explained. "And then it's anticipated that bids will go out the first week of January and then we'll hopefully have bids back, secure those and start work sometime in the spring."
While the two gifts were only just announced on Saturday, Potthoff said securing them has been a work in progress for awhile.
"There's been a lot of communication and a lot of meetings. We've been working on this, to get ready for the announcement, for a couple of months," Potthoff said.
It was intentional that the announcement was made ahead of the opening of the most recent FACT show as Potthoff said it was a highly impactful time with people, many long-time Opera House supporters, in the audience.
Holding off on the announcement also provided time for him and the board to prepare visuals and other materials to send out with word of the update to coincide with the in-person announcement.
While there is no hiding the excitement that comes with the latest update, Potthoff has still been stressing that there is more work to do.
"We'll still need a million, half a million plus to ensure everything is taken care of," he said. "We're still looking for donations."
Information about the Opera house in general, as well as ways to donate, can be found on the website at fairmontoperahouse.org.
However, Potthoff said that if anyone doesn't feel comfortable donating online or has questions, the can contact him to set up a meeting to talk about the pledging process.
*Editor’s note: This article has been updated from an earlier version which was published online on Saturday, July 25.