On Gravenhurst’s leaf-filled muddy streets, whispers from passerby could already be overheard regarding the new building rising on the northwest corner of Muskoka and Victoria (Sharpe).
”So how is Mickle’s Folly progressing?”
Presumably, Gravenhurst Mayor Charles Mickle was not amused. Necessity wasn’t the problem. All residents understood Gravenhurst needed another town hall to replace the burned-out frame one from 3 years earlier at Brock and First.
It was the size and expense of the growing structure that fostered concern. Emerging from a countrywide depression, the whole project seemed extravagant to those townsfolk struggling to regain their financial footing. Then there was a general suspicion toward elected officials stemming from an unfortunate earlier incident of cash disappearing from the town coffers. By the time rumours surfaced of arriving fleur-de-lis stained glass windows and fancy brass electraliers to adorn a second floor opera house …
“An opera house? All we need is a new town hall, don’t we? Does Mickle figure money grows on trees for all of us?”
Keep in mind that 1900 Gravenhurst was, like all rural towns in Canada, a two-tier society. There were those with and those without. The middle class majority, so prevalent today, was still a couple of World Wars away from steering the economy. With over 3,000 residents in town in 1900, the sad reality was that most were withour.
A minority, with attachments to the money strings, made the decisions. To the town rednecks, a necessaty demographic for any community built on the grunt-work of those very real money trees, the whole town hall project was a white elephant; just another pricey indulgence by politicians at taxpayers’ expense! In spite of the grumbling, Charles Mickle’s vision for Gravenhurst would prevail. It normally did.That’s why Charles Mickle lived in the biggest house in town!
And so the Gravenhurst Town Hall and Opera House would officially open its doors to the public on March 12th, 1901. In the 100 years ensuing, the pricey indulgence has witnessed more people crossing its threshold than the entire population of Canada in 1901. Over 6 million served. And that’s by conservative estimate!
This venerable town jewel has the distinction of being Gravenhurst’s most-trod-upon public building, perhaps even Muskoka’s.
In retrospect, those millions of footsteps would suggest, even to last century’s most grizzled skeptic, a demonstrable need for the structure.
Mickle’s Folly has endured to prove itself Mickle’s Vision.
The Gravenhurst Town Hall/Opera House had always been about people – not just “Gravenhurstites” – but everyone from everywhere. Todays front lobby guest book will attest to that fact. Its history corroborates it. Every human from society offers has been through its heritage doors at one time or another over the past cenury; some even non-human, if you choose to believe some of those Hallowe’en accounts about neighbours’ cows and farmers’ wagons on the Town Hall’s terraced roof.
