Pampell's Opera House

 2011

Pampell's Opera House, located at 701 Water Street, is one of the most familiar buildings in downtown Kerrville, The historical marker says Pampell's was erected about 1895 as the M. V. [sic] Gregory Hotel and Store. However, I have learned from fellow history buff Lanza Teague that the building is probably older. According to his 1931 obituary, William V. and Julia Gregory purchased the lot at the corner of Water Street shortly after their marriage in 1880.  There was an existing building on it which they operated as a boarding house.  In a few years they expanded,  building a small hotel and grocery.  It is unclear from the obituary whether they added on to their existing building, or built an entirely new building. Family lore says the existing building was expanded. The photo at the bottom is said to have been taken between 1880 and 1890, so whether the building was replaced or added on, Pampell's is several years older that thought.

 John L. Pampell bought the hotel in 1901 and converted the upstairs into a theater and meeting space.  Access was by an outside stairway.  He didn't always run the theater himself, rather he sometimes leased it out. Other operators included Joe Jennings' Gayety Theater 1912-13 and John Sharfstein's Peoples Theatre in 1918.
This multi-purpose building even served as a skating rink.  On October 27, 1906, J. L. Pampell announced "I have reopened my skating rink in the Opera House. Rink will be open Friday and Saturday evenings and Saturday afternoons."
Downstairs Pampell manufactured candy, ice cream, and carbonated drinks. Later it became a pharmacy.

Originally a wood frame building, it was stuccoed in early1910 and received its current brick facade in 1928.

All three building facades are shown on this page.

Stucco Facade mid-1920s.  Kerr County Historical Commission Collection

Wood frame facade of Gregory Hotel, ca 1880-1890. Courtesy Lanza Teague