The Cortland Opera House, originally named Kline’s Hall, is surrounded by a local legend. The structure was built in 1841 as a Methodist church. Its location made it difficult to assemble a congregation, so they moved the building across town. In 1881, they finally decided to sell the building and build a new church.
Solomon Kline was the buyer. He had the vision of a theater that would be named Kline’s Hall. After having the entire structure moved back several yards, he removed the church belfry and added a stage. The grand opening was on February 3, 1882. Because the local paper referred to his hall as the “Cortland Opera House”, the name stuck. Interestingly enough, there was never an opera performed here.
Local legend says that Solomon Kline has never left the building. However, he is selective on who he haunts. Only people with the last name of Kline have ever reported occurrences.
We visited this location in February, 2008, during a full moon. We spent time in each of the main areas performing EVP work and working with the light up EMF detector. We use the digital as well, but the light up detector allows us to open communication. When we were in the basement area, we were getting spikes that collated with our questions. During this session, there were no drops in temperature or anything recorded on our digital recorders or on video. These spikes were not present during our pre-investigation readings and total power was cut to the building.
None of the group members had a personal experience, and we were unable to document any findings of paranormal activity. Solomon Kline had a beautiful hall, which is currently maintained by the Cortland Historical Society. It is still used for local functions and gatherings.
At this time, the legend of Solomon Kline remains local legend. You may find more of our story by visiting www.tribune-chronicle.com. Look for “local ghost hunters”.
