A large two-story brick building stands on a street corner in this 9 1/2" x 7" black and white photograph. "Opera Block, 1892" appears on the stone fixture at the top of the building. There is a door in the corner of the building with steps leading up to it. There are windows on the top story and storefronts on the ground floor. The storefront windows have awnings, currently rolled up. Several people stand on the sidewalk in front of these windows, and one man sits on the steps on the corner. Two dirt streets meet at the intersection in front of the building.
The Leader store complex was built in 1892. Hurd and Ladd Brothers general store displayed groceries on one side and dry goods on the other. For 31 years, this complex and stores south of it were the center of business activity in Rising City. The opera house was upstairs, along with banquet rooms where lodge meetings, banquets, lectures, dances, and parties were held. The Masonic Hall and the library are currently (2014) on the site of the Opera Block.
