The history cannot be right, given the address. The 1915 map shows the ugly building containing the bar (uses a 112 address) as the city hall and fire station. There was a building to the north, but it was gone before 2009, and did not contain a theater in 1915. There is a large building across the street, which could perhaps have been a theater, but it does not appear on that map. I wish the American Classic Images website wasn’t dead, since that would make the ID very easy.
I’ve removed the picture, and put it under a new listing. I suspect the Empress was either in the Opera House that was at 417-421 4th St, or in some newer building. Still existing choices that postdate the 1915 map are the Masonic lodge at 501 Court, a large commercial building at 413-417 Court, or perhaps the two story building at 412 5th (which seems to have had the ground floor extensively reworked).
I’ve added a map view of this theater, and added a listing for another. It’s possible the other one was the Empress, but it’s a pretty small building. The capacity works better for the 5th St address.
It’s hard to say from the very sparse listing, but this might be the same theater that appears on the 1915 map at 408 5th St. It was located in a small one-story brick storefront (the 1909 map shows furniture & undertaking there). It has since been demolished. The location must have been just to the north of the two story building in the middle of the block.
1902 Sanborn calls this the Metropolitan Opera House, but 1911 and later show it as the Metropolitan Theatre. If Fridley had anything to do with that name, it was a renaming after many years as the Met.
Typo in the listing, ‘Hose’. The ‘in recent years’ is a bit vague and confusing, and no longer accurate. Seems to have maybe taken place in the 1990s? The history on the theater website is not terribly clear.
This is not demolished. The history needs a lot of work. This theater appears on the 1911 map. The 1900 map has it as a dry goods store, and the building was built sometime before 1883. The second floor was a lodge room, at least up until the theater operation started.
For some incredibly stupid reason, I did a terrible job covering this town, despite decent weather. I’ve added a Sanborn view, and a shot of downtown with the theater in the foreground. The building is in decent shape, aside from the typical ugly remodeled ground floor.
It was originally 4th from the corner, but a new bank built around 1910 (which is the white building to the right in the photo) replaced the earlier structures. You are correct about the Iowa’s location. This block has been pretty badly butchered, but the distinctive brickwork on the building to the left of the Iowa can still be seen. Address was indeed 106-108 for the opera house.
The original facade, before the nasty remodel, was that of the old Solon. Although most of this block was destroyed by the fire in June 1931, there was enough of the Solon left that the Spencer was one of the first buildings completed. When I passed through in Nov. 2009, there was also an entrance lobby in the Moore building to the south. I assume the other two screens were there.
The Spencer was able to open so soon after the fire because the facade of the Solon was able to be reused. That explains why they seem to be basically the same building.
Extremely poor listing. This has not been demolished. The address is 217 Grand Ave. It seems to have been a remodel of a garage/dealership which appears on the 1924 map. Definitely open by 1941. Now a law office.
I’m not sure this history is correct. The 1931 fire did destroy most of this block. The theater building seems to be on the 1924 map, but it has no label, except two small stores flanking the entrance. It appears to be a remodeling of a concrete block garage on the 1915 map. The 1941 map shows the Spencer with an identical footprint and layout. It’s possible this did not open until sometime during 1924. It is odd that the map has no label for that building. It may have been open since 1921, and there was an error where the surveyor forgot to label it.
Most of the pictures are wrong, including the main one. They show the Fraser, which is somewhere else. It’s very obvious from looking at the neighboring buildings.
Address is 201. Not sure if this has been demolished, but it was on Preservation Iowa’s most endangered list in 2018. A deadbeat owner had neglected it and failed to pay taxes, and it was seized by the city. Satellite view shows lots of holes in the roof.
The first movie was apparently shown in 1900, when a screening of a film of the Oberammergau Passion Play was screened here. May have been called the Storm Lake Opera House, or that may have been a way that people referred to it.
SethG
commented about
Airdomeon
Nov 22, 2023 at 12:54 pm
Fyock apparently became the manager of the World, and supplied the projection equipment. The World (later Empire, then Lake) opened late 1911, so this may have just been a one-season theater.
The history cannot be right, given the address. The 1915 map shows the ugly building containing the bar (uses a 112 address) as the city hall and fire station. There was a building to the north, but it was gone before 2009, and did not contain a theater in 1915. There is a large building across the street, which could perhaps have been a theater, but it does not appear on that map. I wish the American Classic Images website wasn’t dead, since that would make the ID very easy.
I’ve removed the picture, and put it under a new listing. I suspect the Empress was either in the Opera House that was at 417-421 4th St, or in some newer building. Still existing choices that postdate the 1915 map are the Masonic lodge at 501 Court, a large commercial building at 413-417 Court, or perhaps the two story building at 412 5th (which seems to have had the ground floor extensively reworked).
I’ve added a map view of this theater, and added a listing for another. It’s possible the other one was the Empress, but it’s a pretty small building. The capacity works better for the 5th St address.
It’s hard to say from the very sparse listing, but this might be the same theater that appears on the 1915 map at 408 5th St. It was located in a small one-story brick storefront (the 1909 map shows furniture & undertaking there). It has since been demolished. The location must have been just to the north of the two story building in the middle of the block.
1902 Sanborn calls this the Metropolitan Opera House, but 1911 and later show it as the Metropolitan Theatre. If Fridley had anything to do with that name, it was a renaming after many years as the Met.
Was renamed the ‘Met’ by around 1944, when the lobby was redone, and a new marquee added. That still existed when the building was listed in 1975.
Typo in the listing, ‘Hose’. The ‘in recent years’ is a bit vague and confusing, and no longer accurate. Seems to have maybe taken place in the 1990s? The history on the theater website is not terribly clear.
This is not demolished. The history needs a lot of work. This theater appears on the 1911 map. The 1900 map has it as a dry goods store, and the building was built sometime before 1883. The second floor was a lodge room, at least up until the theater operation started.
For some incredibly stupid reason, I did a terrible job covering this town, despite decent weather. I’ve added a Sanborn view, and a shot of downtown with the theater in the foreground. The building is in decent shape, aside from the typical ugly remodeled ground floor.
Not a Fridley anymore. Website is: https://humotatheater.com/
Anyone found a picture before that disgusting remodel?
It was originally 4th from the corner, but a new bank built around 1910 (which is the white building to the right in the photo) replaced the earlier structures. You are correct about the Iowa’s location. This block has been pretty badly butchered, but the distinctive brickwork on the building to the left of the Iowa can still be seen. Address was indeed 106-108 for the opera house.
Maybe. This wasn’t a new building, but if they did extensive work on it, they might have referred to it as new.
Closed sometime in 2018, website now dating spam.
The original facade, before the nasty remodel, was that of the old Solon. Although most of this block was destroyed by the fire in June 1931, there was enough of the Solon left that the Spencer was one of the first buildings completed. When I passed through in Nov. 2009, there was also an entrance lobby in the Moore building to the south. I assume the other two screens were there.
The Spencer was able to open so soon after the fire because the facade of the Solon was able to be reused. That explains why they seem to be basically the same building.
Extremely poor listing. This has not been demolished. The address is 217 Grand Ave. It seems to have been a remodel of a garage/dealership which appears on the 1924 map. Definitely open by 1941. Now a law office.
Wrong theater. This is the Fraser.
Wrong theater. This is the Fraser.
Wrong theater. This is the Fraser.
This Fraser was a replacement of an earlier Fraser, destroyed in the 1931 fire which left this entire block in ruins.
I’m not sure this history is correct. The 1931 fire did destroy most of this block. The theater building seems to be on the 1924 map, but it has no label, except two small stores flanking the entrance. It appears to be a remodeling of a concrete block garage on the 1915 map. The 1941 map shows the Spencer with an identical footprint and layout. It’s possible this did not open until sometime during 1924. It is odd that the map has no label for that building. It may have been open since 1921, and there was an error where the surveyor forgot to label it.
Most of the pictures are wrong, including the main one. They show the Fraser, which is somewhere else. It’s very obvious from looking at the neighboring buildings.
Address is 201. Not sure if this has been demolished, but it was on Preservation Iowa’s most endangered list in 2018. A deadbeat owner had neglected it and failed to pay taxes, and it was seized by the city. Satellite view shows lots of holes in the roof.
The first movie was apparently shown in 1900, when a screening of a film of the Oberammergau Passion Play was screened here. May have been called the Storm Lake Opera House, or that may have been a way that people referred to it.
Fyock apparently became the manager of the World, and supplied the projection equipment. The World (later Empire, then Lake) opened late 1911, so this may have just been a one-season theater.