Joseph H. Lebowsky Center

Assuming that’s the first time those vintage fire safety features ever had to be brought into play, and the fact that they worked perfectly after all these many years of having been totally inert, that is a truly amazing story! Just in itself that speaks volumes about the quality of this theater!

But what’s equally impressive is the quality attention this theater is being given by all the people now so heavily focused on its recovery! For I’ve seen theaters that had very good if not excellent chances of being brought from ruination in a big way, in some cases their not even in states of ruination really, but…

Well, for lack of a better way of putting it, they just happened to be in the wrong place people-wise. Or at least regarding the powers-that-be.

But that doesn’t seem to be the situation in Owosso’s case, and I just want to say here and now how I’m REALLY impressed by that! For I could just see some “authority” figure here and now saying, “Op! That’s it, folks. This theater can never come back again after this incident,” but the wise folks of there replying, with a bemused shrug, “Oh is that’s so?” Which, if murmured quickly, would sound just like they were saying…

And if I understand correctly, in Native American, “Owosso” means “One Bright Spot.”

Yes, grander than before!

Thanks for the informative newsletter. My thoughts are with the Owosso Community Players and their gallant efforts to bring back this theatre after a devastating fire.

With fire in theaters being such an established stereotype at this late point in time, one would think that the most fire-proof type buildings around today would be movie theaters. For how difficult can it be to grasp the simple concept that if this or that type material can readily burn DON’T HAVE IT IN MOVIE THEATERS!!!?

In any event, what happened with this particular theater can be seen as a wonderful opportunity to make it a much better theater, at least in being made more fireproof. For look at those brick walls shown in Michael Zoldessy’s Feb. 18, 2007 post http://cinematreasures.org/news/16009_0_1_0_C20/, they seemed to hold up well. There was once some sculptor, I forget who it was, who said a sculpture really isn’t complete till after you roll it down a hillside. Why not apply that same approach here? That is, the fire showed what was good and solid about the theater, and now it just has to be rebuilt, only this time around along those same guidelines. Why is that so hard for some to grasp?

The fire department could have done ALOT more to save this. It was as if they were not giving a serious effort into saving the building, but instead only concentrating on the building next door.

I was there that night with a buddy who is a fire cheif for another town watching the fire. He totally agrees. When we got there, the fire appeared to be somewhat minor, yet instead of putting water on it, the Owosso FD concentrated only on the roof, and the building next door. No wonder they keep letting these histroical buildings burn to the ground. After the bowling alley incident which they handled horribly, it just makes the department look worse.

There were only two hoses on the fire most of the night, like I said concentrating only on the roof, and the bank next door. they never allowed firefighters into the building,supposedly due to the roof trusses that are known to weeken in intense heat, yet the stage house, and front of the building under the projection booth would have been safe, at least in the early stages. Instead nothing AT ALL was done to save the building, instead, they had two hoses, and 150firefighters (most of whome were just standing around watching), spraying the roof. that was it, nothing else.

I gotta say that I am downright upset they let the building burn down without putting the least bit effort into saving this wonderful theater. Whats next? the woodard building? They obviously dont care about saving historic structures. If you look at the FD’s track record in the past five years, it is absolutely horrible. in each fire in a historic building, it has burned to the ground without much effort given to saving the buildings, rather, just in keeping it from spreading to nearby buildings. Maybe this is their plan at revitalizing the downtown area; let everything burn and put up nice new ugly buildigngs with no character.

Just heartbreaking. My thoughts are with all of those dedicated volunteers.

A day and moment of sadness on this Valentine’s Day. It’s always a shame to read about a 1926 landmark such as this now gone though I know the firefighters did their best under the worst of winter conditions. I don’t recall reading a cause so perhaps it will be determined in the near future.

The original operator of the Capitol Theatre in Owosso MI was W.S. Butterfield Theatres which ran it until it closed in 1985.