It was designed by Italianate Victorian style architect H. Edwards Ficken, who also was co-designer of the famous Carnegie Hall located in Manhattan, New York.

[6] The first showing at the opera house was created by James A. Herne, called "Drifting Apart", and was said that it was "a melodramatic temperance play without the traditional didactic sermons preaching the evils of drink."

[2] The Sterling Opera house was built with a combination of architectural styles in order to appeal to composer Richard Swagner.

Many people claim to have seen un-explainable things such shadow figures, orbs of light and objects moving on their own.

Even though there are no tragic stories of deaths that occurred there, it is believed that the spirit of Charles Sterling, the man who the structure was named after, may be lurking the building in the afterlife.

[6] Some experiences of paranormal activity in the opera house have been people seeing and hearing a little boy playing with a soccer ball up in the balcony seats.

[7][8] There were many famous people who performed at the opera house including Harry Houdini, Amelia Earhart, Lionel Barrymore, as well as John L. Sullivan who was Simon Legree in a showing of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

[6] Amelia Earhart was brought to the opera house by the Women's Club on March 16, 1936, and told of her amazing flying adventures.

Peeling paint, broken windows and rusted metal are merely a few of the problems that have worsened over the years and will need to be fixed.