Rodgers Theatre

119 W. Vienna Street,
Anna, IL 62906

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Showing 26 - 31 of 31 comments

kpetrich
kpetrich on June 29, 2005 at 10:54 am

Please write the city of Anna and let them know how important this theatre is. I.W. Rodgers was listed in a December 16th, 1922 magazine called Moving Picture World as one of the top three most important pioneers in the movie theatre business. This is one of the last two surviving Rodgers Theatres and because of a neighboring bar and funeral home pulling the strings on the city council, the theater needs your help now more than ever. Please email me if you have any questions at .il.us

City of Anna
Mayor Steve Hartline
103 Market St
Anna, IL 62906

dmoutell
dmoutell on December 4, 2004 at 4:13 pm

My father has been trying to salvage parts of this theater because of its fate. He knows the current and last owner. The pressure to destroy this poor theater has been too much. The internal damage from years of a leaking roof is pretty bad – but my father (a lifelong building contracter) said the structure as a whole is no worse than other structures nearby. I have always loved this theater. Its beauty influenced me to love this style. I have an outside picture of this theater when it was at its finest. It was just as impressive on the inside. I remember every detail. I cannot bear to see it destroyed!!!

melders
melders on December 2, 2004 at 1:04 am

The ruling came in today. It gives the city permission to demolish the theater. It is a real shame because the owner probably could have saved it, had he not spent so much time and money in court fighting the city.

melders
melders on October 15, 2004 at 1:26 am

A judge has ruled that if the owner does not have a plan and the funds for rebuilding and reopening the theater in a month, he will allow the city to tear it down.

melders
melders on September 7, 2004 at 1:34 am

A local citizen is trying to fix this building, but the city government won’t stop harrassing him. They took him to court to demolish it, and he won. Now they are going to go in and inspect the theater soon. If it does not meet there idea of progress, then they will take him to court again.

melders
melders on March 30, 2004 at 2:48 pm

This theater is in danger of being torn down. The building next door burned down last fall. The owner of a bar nearby has been harassing the city to demolish the building. The city is trying too, despite the fact that the current owner is moving ahead with renovation. Havn’t heard much about the theater in the last few months, so I don’t know what is currently going on.