Rhoads Opera House fire
Building on site of Rhoads Opera House at South Washington Street and East Philadelphia Avenue in Boyertown | |
| Date | January 13, 1908 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Rhoads Opera House |
| Location | Boyertown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°19′54″N 75°38′07″W / 40.3318°N 75.6353°W |
| Type | Fire |
| Cause | Knocked over kerosene lamp |
| Deaths | 171 |
The Rhoads Opera House Fire occurred on January 13, 1908, in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, United States. The opera house caught fire during a stage play sponsored by nearby St. John's Lutheran Church. Of the approximately 400 men, women, and children either in attendance or associated with the performance of the play, 171 perished in various ways as they tried to escape the conflagration.