I would have expected to be able to find the building just past the theater, with the distinctive angled entry. Couldn’t find anything like it on the 1921 map. Ash St has lost maybe 80% of the buildings, but it seems the most likely.
No, that’s not it. The neighboring buildings don’t match at all, and there’s a street just past the theater in the picture, which obviously isn’t there. The building at 104 bears no resemblance at all to the one in the picture. There are 4 windows on the second floor, not two, etc.
The information about the opera house is wrong. This space is an empty lot on the 1913 map. The 1921 map shows the Gem theater at this location, in a building that probably became the old Ritz as shown before the 1951 remodel. Confusingly, the old address was 106-108 W Main, which coincides with the current address for where the Roxy used to be.
There is some confusion about the location. Main St has been renumbered. On the 1921 map, the location of the empty lot where you would today expect to find 108 W Main is home to a commercial building with the addresses 225-229 E Main (odds and evens used to switch sides at the east-west divide, which was the railroad tracks/3rd St). The old 106-108 W Main is the location of today’s Ritz (with a 306 W Main address).
If this was in Blytheville, it must have been demolished long ago. Maybe on W Ash? Not sure what the Shibley’s non-sequitur is in reference to. There’s no business by that name in town.
Address is wrong. The street is Seltzer St, and the intersection with Scott makes it somewhere in the 200 block. It’s been demolished. Was probably where the ugly new bank is now, or maybe a block south.
The much older building (at dating to at least 1912, and probably earlier) across the intersection also has a G. Carpentier nameplate. It was a saloon on the side with the corner entrance, a store on the other, and apartments upstairs.
Building may still exist, partially. The eastern half is now a very sad and ugly little ‘park’, but the western half is still there, with a really ugly ‘modern’ facade. The remodeled building is shown as two stores on the 1950 map. It’s much deeper than the old theater, but the same height. Could be the dairy, or maybe a replacement?
Building was constructed sometime before 1886. It was originally a smaller wood frame structure, but was extended to the rear by 1898, that portion being brick. 1906 map shows it as a printer’s. By 1950, it had either been heavily remodeled or replaced by a similar structure, which is now gone. Location would have been just to the north of the building on the corner.
Nameplate on the facade is G. Carpentier. The first owner, or just a speculator who built it? By the way, there are some much better pictures than the blurry low quality shot currently used.
Well, maybe one more note? The address for this theater was 916-918. Not sure which was used by the second floor. The 920 address did not exist, as late as 1957.
I’ve created a listing for the older Majestic, and the photo should be moved there. It’s unfortunate that there only seem to be 1912, 1950, and 1957 maps for East Moline, it leaves a lot of gaps.
The 1950 map shows that the second floor was a dance hall. Not sure if that left room for a balcony. The stage at rear was only one story. By the way, the streetview car went down the back alley, so you can get a good look at this. The 1957 map shows the ground floor split into two storefronts, but there is a marquee (not shown on the 1950 map, possibly just an omission) still present. Second floor was still a hall of some sort.
Demolition of the front revealed an amusing note from management on the door to the projection booth (which is now high up on the wall of the remaining structure):
The entry does look right for about 1950, but the construction looks pretty old-fashioned, with the big auditorium at the back, and a tin clad projection booth stuck onto the wall. The Arcade name is also old-fashioned. The 1923 map shows this corner occupied by several public school buildings. The front was still there in 2014.
This is a really poor listing. No address, and closed 40 years as of when? The correct address is 155 E Church St. The entire front has been torn down, as well as the projection booth. There is a new door stuck into the wall of the auditorium, so someone must still be using it for something.
Opening date is wrong. There is no building on this lot on the December 1923 Sanborn. The style of the facade looks more like something from the ‘30s. If there was an earlier Pastime, it was somewhere else.
I would have expected to be able to find the building just past the theater, with the distinctive angled entry. Couldn’t find anything like it on the 1921 map. Ash St has lost maybe 80% of the buildings, but it seems the most likely.
No, that’s not it. The neighboring buildings don’t match at all, and there’s a street just past the theater in the picture, which obviously isn’t there. The building at 104 bears no resemblance at all to the one in the picture. There are 4 windows on the second floor, not two, etc.
The information about the opera house is wrong. This space is an empty lot on the 1913 map. The 1921 map shows the Gem theater at this location, in a building that probably became the old Ritz as shown before the 1951 remodel. Confusingly, the old address was 106-108 W Main, which coincides with the current address for where the Roxy used to be.
There is some confusion about the location. Main St has been renumbered. On the 1921 map, the location of the empty lot where you would today expect to find 108 W Main is home to a commercial building with the addresses 225-229 E Main (odds and evens used to switch sides at the east-west divide, which was the railroad tracks/3rd St). The old 106-108 W Main is the location of today’s Ritz (with a 306 W Main address).
If this was in Blytheville, it must have been demolished long ago. Maybe on W Ash? Not sure what the Shibley’s non-sequitur is in reference to. There’s no business by that name in town.
Not sure how the MLS came up with that wacky date. Even a glance at the building makes it obvious it can’t be postwar.
The building at 517 clearly has a ‘1925’ (or perhaps 1923?) at the top.
Address is wrong. The street is Seltzer St, and the intersection with Scott makes it somewhere in the 200 block. It’s been demolished. Was probably where the ugly new bank is now, or maybe a block south.
Address on the 1957 map is 1719. 1717 is the barbershop to the west.
Of course the Majestic was also operating, and that’s missing, too.
Looks like we have a few photos of the first Majestic which need to be moved to the other listing.
This certainly could be the one. I think the first Majestic was a conversion. This block had lots of empty space on the 1912 map.
The much older building (at dating to at least 1912, and probably earlier) across the intersection also has a G. Carpentier nameplate. It was a saloon on the side with the corner entrance, a store on the other, and apartments upstairs.
Building may still exist, partially. The eastern half is now a very sad and ugly little ‘park’, but the western half is still there, with a really ugly ‘modern’ facade. The remodeled building is shown as two stores on the 1950 map. It’s much deeper than the old theater, but the same height. Could be the dairy, or maybe a replacement?
Building was constructed sometime before 1886. It was originally a smaller wood frame structure, but was extended to the rear by 1898, that portion being brick. 1906 map shows it as a printer’s. By 1950, it had either been heavily remodeled or replaced by a similar structure, which is now gone. Location would have been just to the north of the building on the corner.
Nameplate on the facade is G. Carpentier. The first owner, or just a speculator who built it? By the way, there are some much better pictures than the blurry low quality shot currently used.
Well, maybe one more note? The address for this theater was 916-918. Not sure which was used by the second floor. The 920 address did not exist, as late as 1957.
One last note, which may help any confusion for other researchers: 15th Ave was called 1st Ave until sometime between 1912 and 1950.
I’ve created a listing for the older Majestic, and the photo should be moved there. It’s unfortunate that there only seem to be 1912, 1950, and 1957 maps for East Moline, it leaves a lot of gaps.
The 1950 map shows that the second floor was a dance hall. Not sure if that left room for a balcony. The stage at rear was only one story. By the way, the streetview car went down the back alley, so you can get a good look at this. The 1957 map shows the ground floor split into two storefronts, but there is a marquee (not shown on the 1950 map, possibly just an omission) still present. Second floor was still a hall of some sort.
That makes sense. I couldn’t find any others on either the 1908, 1913 or 1923 maps.
Demolition of the front revealed an amusing note from management on the door to the projection booth (which is now high up on the wall of the remaining structure):
‘A PROJECTIONIST’S PLACE
IS IN THE BOOTH
DURING THE SHOWTIME
SO UNTIL IT’S GO TIME
DON’T LEAVE NO TIME’
The entry does look right for about 1950, but the construction looks pretty old-fashioned, with the big auditorium at the back, and a tin clad projection booth stuck onto the wall. The Arcade name is also old-fashioned. The 1923 map shows this corner occupied by several public school buildings. The front was still there in 2014.
This is a really poor listing. No address, and closed 40 years as of when? The correct address is 155 E Church St. The entire front has been torn down, as well as the projection booth. There is a new door stuck into the wall of the auditorium, so someone must still be using it for something.
Opening date is wrong. There is no building on this lot on the December 1923 Sanborn. The style of the facade looks more like something from the ‘30s. If there was an earlier Pastime, it was somewhere else.
Jeeze, far left I mean. I swear I do know the difference.