Timothy

Mathis

Thanks to Tim Mathis? determination and devotion to local history, a Pinckneyville landmark is being saved. The J.M. Kunz Opera House was built around 1896 as a prominent building on the town square. For more than one hundred years, the Opera House has been an important part of life in Pinckneyville?a theater, opera house, retail store, post office, mining company, dance hall, warehouse, and even a basketball arena. But in recent years, the building became vacant, neglected, and, ultimately, structurally unsound. Its once ornate fa?ade became an eyesore and a haven for pigeons. In 2002, the City Council was forced to declare the building unsafe and to begin legal proceedings to force the demolition of the building. Yet Mr. Mathis saw hope for the old building and he single-handedly prevented its loss. He purchased the building and negotiated with the City Council to forestall legal proceedings while he set about rectifying its structural problems and restoring the exterior of the building to its former grandeur, thus preserving an important part of the town's history. Similarly, Mr. Mathis has maintained other old buildings in town and led a successful effort to preserve the 1930's Pinckneyville Community High School building during a referendum campaign for a new building. In addition to his career as a local physician, he is recognized here for his efforts and dedication in giving new life to Pinckneyville's historic buildings.