Again, the opening date for the opera house, which is not the same building anyway, is wrong. The opera house was at least 11 years old in 1893, when it was purchased by Wareham. The 1897 map still calls it Moore’s Opera House.
As I said before, since the new building is so much larger than the opera house, it wouldn’t be possible for any of it to remain, except possibly parts of the side walls or some of the foundation.
I also see no evidence that the old opera house included a hotel. This is definitely something that would have shown up on a fire insurance map. There is no hotel shown anywhere on this block on any map, until the construction of the Hotel Wareham in 1926.
Moore’s Opera House was built around 1882, and is shown on the 1885 map. I’m not at all sure that it has anything to do with the Wareham, except that it occupied the lot. There is some confusing information out there. Wareham purchased the building in 1893. The 1905 map shows it as the Wareham Opera House, and it is listed as such in that year’s Cahn guide.
The KS historical society says the theater was built in 1909, the date at the top of the building is 1910, but the 1912 map still shows the opera house in its old configuration. The 1923 map, which shows the new theater, has it 12 feet taller than the old building, and much deeper. I doubt there was any of the old structure retained at all. That map calls it the Wareham Theatre, so the 1938 renaming date is definitely bogus.
I suspect the Electric name was only used briefly. The theater was likely showing films earlier than 1914, since the airdome to the west, which was most likely associated with this theater, was open by 1912.
The building to the left is the airdome, likely still operating at this date.
SethG
commented about
Airdomeon
Jul 30, 2024 at 2:12 am
It definitely makes sense. The three existing buildings all have a Wareham tie. The hotel where the airdome was, a three story commercial building where the millinery is in the photo, and the Wareham itself.
SethG
commented about
Air Domeon
Jul 29, 2024 at 8:09 pm
I had asked about the Leland, but not heard back. I’ll create a listing. I have a lousy picture from a very gray day.
This is not demolished. The ugly sheet metal facade for the theater has been removed. The building first appears on the 1923 map, although it might be older since the south side of the street does not appear on the 1912 map. It was auto repair at least through 1947. It’s now the offices of a chamber of commerce type organization for Aggieville.
I’ve added a 1922 map view showing the auditorium was then only behind the right (east) side of the building. It notes a capacity of 400, so it does seem likely that a larger auditorium was part of the 1930s remodel.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Jul 21, 2024 at 5:19 am
The address is wrong. This has been demolished, wherever it was. The auto parts store is in a building from the 1920s, but there is a big ugly cheap Auto-CAD city hall across the street.
I think it may have been under the western piece of that. The 1911 map shows a two story concrete block hotel directly across from the Welch building, which houses the auto parts store. I think we see the western edge of that in the picture. The address would perhaps have been 815 or 817, if that’s correct.
I found an old postcard (1970-ish) showing the Sigma, which seems to be called the Sigma I. Definitely an older theater. I can’t say whether it’s the original or a 1940s replacement. Very bland flat beige plaster facade and a drab little marquee.
Joe, I just added a theater at 6th and Broadway. That can’t have become the Apollo, which is much closer to State, nearly 2 blocks away. The problem with the Lyric/Iris ID is that it was closed by 1917, and there’s nothing else on either the 1911 or 1917 maps that’s anywhere close to that intersection.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Jul 11, 2024 at 8:20 pm
Note that this street was called Broadway until sometime around 1920.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Jul 11, 2024 at 8:19 pm
Note that while this theater was operating, this was Commercial St, but became M by 1923.
The 1917 map shows a theater two doors east of the Elks building on the corner. It was built sometime after 1911. The address is 229-231. My guess is the big auto-CAD lump replaced either that building or a 1940s replacement.
The KS Historical Society claims this was called the Electrodome, and that the building (but perhaps not the theater?) was owned by G.A. Chapin. That may be one of the other two early theaters in town, one of which was next door.
The first owners were Sam and Katherine Blair, who came to town from Mena, AR in 1920 to run a different theater, which they then replaced with this much larger one. They leased it to Commonwealth in 1941, and sold it in 1966.
The building does not appear on the 1911 map, and was likely built to be a theater. Sometime between 1911 and 1923 the street was renamed from Broadway to 19th.
I am dubious of the later history. The 1933 map shows this divided into two stores. It had likely closed permanently by then. I added a view from the 1923 map.
Again, the opening date for the opera house, which is not the same building anyway, is wrong. The opera house was at least 11 years old in 1893, when it was purchased by Wareham. The 1897 map still calls it Moore’s Opera House.
As I said before, since the new building is so much larger than the opera house, it wouldn’t be possible for any of it to remain, except possibly parts of the side walls or some of the foundation.
Thanks to Joe Vogel for some of the information here!
I also see no evidence that the old opera house included a hotel. This is definitely something that would have shown up on a fire insurance map. There is no hotel shown anywhere on this block on any map, until the construction of the Hotel Wareham in 1926.
The history is wrong.
Moore’s Opera House was built around 1882, and is shown on the 1885 map. I’m not at all sure that it has anything to do with the Wareham, except that it occupied the lot. There is some confusing information out there. Wareham purchased the building in 1893. The 1905 map shows it as the Wareham Opera House, and it is listed as such in that year’s Cahn guide.
The KS historical society says the theater was built in 1909, the date at the top of the building is 1910, but the 1912 map still shows the opera house in its old configuration. The 1923 map, which shows the new theater, has it 12 feet taller than the old building, and much deeper. I doubt there was any of the old structure retained at all. That map calls it the Wareham Theatre, so the 1938 renaming date is definitely bogus.
I suspect the Electric name was only used briefly. The theater was likely showing films earlier than 1914, since the airdome to the west, which was most likely associated with this theater, was open by 1912.
The building to the left is the airdome, likely still operating at this date.
It definitely makes sense. The three existing buildings all have a Wareham tie. The hotel where the airdome was, a three story commercial building where the millinery is in the photo, and the Wareham itself.
I had asked about the Leland, but not heard back. I’ll create a listing. I have a lousy picture from a very gray day.
I’ve added a Sanborn view of this theater to show the arrangement, which seems to have been fairly consistent up through the last map in 1947.
This is not demolished. The ugly sheet metal facade for the theater has been removed. The building first appears on the 1923 map, although it might be older since the south side of the street does not appear on the 1912 map. It was auto repair at least through 1947. It’s now the offices of a chamber of commerce type organization for Aggieville.
This needs to be changed to demolished. The building was torn down sometime between 2007 and 2013.
I’ve added a 1922 map view showing the auditorium was then only behind the right (east) side of the building. It notes a capacity of 400, so it does seem likely that a larger auditorium was part of the 1930s remodel.
The 1901 map shows a drug store here.
The address is wrong. This has been demolished, wherever it was. The auto parts store is in a building from the 1920s, but there is a big ugly cheap Auto-CAD city hall across the street.
I think it may have been under the western piece of that. The 1911 map shows a two story concrete block hotel directly across from the Welch building, which houses the auto parts store. I think we see the western edge of that in the picture. The address would perhaps have been 815 or 817, if that’s correct.
This theater does not appear on the August 1911 Sanborn, but there is a large empty lot which extends down through 507.
Website is: https://www.senecatwintheatre-ks.com/
I was in town twice, and it was nasty weather both times. Never got a good picture of this one.
I found an old postcard (1970-ish) showing the Sigma, which seems to be called the Sigma I. Definitely an older theater. I can’t say whether it’s the original or a 1940s replacement. Very bland flat beige plaster facade and a drab little marquee.
Joe, I just added a theater at 6th and Broadway. That can’t have become the Apollo, which is much closer to State, nearly 2 blocks away. The problem with the Lyric/Iris ID is that it was closed by 1917, and there’s nothing else on either the 1911 or 1917 maps that’s anywhere close to that intersection.
Note that this street was called Broadway until sometime around 1920.
Note that while this theater was operating, this was Commercial St, but became M by 1923.
The 1917 map shows a theater two doors east of the Elks building on the corner. It was built sometime after 1911. The address is 229-231. My guess is the big auto-CAD lump replaced either that building or a 1940s replacement.
The KS Historical Society claims this was called the Electrodome, and that the building (but perhaps not the theater?) was owned by G.A. Chapin. That may be one of the other two early theaters in town, one of which was next door.
The first owners were Sam and Katherine Blair, who came to town from Mena, AR in 1920 to run a different theater, which they then replaced with this much larger one. They leased it to Commonwealth in 1941, and sold it in 1966.
The building does not appear on the 1911 map, and was likely built to be a theater. Sometime between 1911 and 1923 the street was renamed from Broadway to 19th.
I am dubious of the later history. The 1933 map shows this divided into two stores. It had likely closed permanently by then. I added a view from the 1923 map.
This has not been demolished. It’s a mini-storage place.