A new business is hoping to bring new life to a historic building in Downtown Winamac. Opera House Floral and Gifts has recently set up shop in the Vurpillat Opera House.
For owner Carrie Hoffman, opening a store there was something a longtime dream. “You know, I’ve always loved this building, honestly,” she says. “From the time I was about 18 years of age, working for another floral shop that was on Pearl Street, I thought, ‘Man, too bad you can’t put something in these windows’ that were just awesome. They were awesome then, they’re awesome now. It’s funny how power of attraction works.”
The Vurpillat Opera House was built in 1882 and is listed on the National and Indiana Register of Historic Places. Hoffman says it was important to build on that historical value, when designing the new store. “You’re starting with a lot of square footage and empty,” she explains. “So we wanted to fit what we put in here, as far as the walls, the counter-top, the cooler, we wanted to keep around the time period look. So that was quite a challenge, but yet it was also a lot of fun.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony and open house will take place Saturday, July 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT. Hoffman says Opera House Floral and Gifts will provide customers with a friendly atmosphere, different styles of floral design, and lots of other products.
The business is renting the space from the Pulaski County Historical Society.
