Jasper B. Chapin had built a 25x123 foot building on the northeast corner of Broadway and NP Avenue in 1878. It was destroyed in the fire of 1893.

Exteriors of the building can be seen here and here.

The upper floor was used as a theater and was known as Chapin Hall. It became known as the Opera House in 1883 and largely supplanted McHench Hall as Fargo's major theater. Alex Stern purchased the the hall in 1888. Seating 800, the theater gave almost 400 presentations from Shakespeare to minstrel shows.

The photograph of the right was taken by F. J. Haynes on November 21, 1878.

A sample program from the Opera House can be seen here.