Once home to the ultimate in refined entertainment, the Alpha Opera House had been reduced to a pool hall, the Brunswick Billiard Hall, in this 1891 photograph by Arthur French. Built in 1882 for Andrew J. Baker, the Alpha Opera house hosted plays, operas, vaudeville, and town meetings including Tacoma's celebration of statehood in 1889. Its heyday ended when the magnificent Tacoma Theater opened in 1890 on C Street, now Broadway. The building was torn down in 1892 and replaced by Chilberg's restaurant. In 1928, the stately Bank of California building was constructed on the site. BU-10258

Brunswick Billiard Hall (Tacoma); Billiard parlors--Tacoma; Alpha Opera House (Tacoma);