Unless something has changed, there is no such address. The even side of N Walnut is the courthouse lawn. Odds and evens switch sides on S Walnut, and where 124 might have been is a parking lot.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Aug 30, 2019 at 7:01 am
The Wikipedia page for Green Castle has a photo of Lincoln St in the 1890s. The theater is on the left end of the brick buildings. Although the water tower, city limit sign, etc. all say ‘Green Castle’, google and Wikipedia render it ‘Greencastle’.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Aug 30, 2019 at 6:58 am
The Sanborn map notes the theater as having a ‘Standard Booth’. Not sure what this means, and I’ve never seen it before. Perhaps a fireproof projection room?
The address and some of the other information are wrong. The 1916 map shows only one theater, on the no longer extant Court (Street?). Unless there has been renumbering, 118 was a house on the corner, and is now an empty lot. Even if the current 116 was also 118, the 1916 map shows it as a dry goods store.
There was an opera house in a 2 story building across from the courthouse, but no mention is made of movies. Address would have been on the odd side of the 100 block of S Main. It was constructed by 1884. The 2008 streetview shows the butchered remains of the ground floor, but the building has since been demolished.
I don’t think this was ever called the Summers. It was owned by a Mr. Summers. The first building was completely different, and quite a bit smaller, at least width-wise. It, along with most of the rest of the block, was destroyed by fire.
The library has a picture of the old Royal ablaze. It was taken from the courthouse roof, and you can see the fire was huge, with smoke and flame pouring out of the roofs of all the buildings along the block. Mr. Summers and fellow businessmen rebuilt the block in 1951. All of these buildings look fairly similar. The library also displays a few seats, a rewinder, and several pictures of the ‘new’ theater.
One final note, the building is not as wide as it appears. The façade on the right is a false front over a one story section.
The 1905 Cahn guide lists it as the ‘Butler Opera House’, managed by J.A. Trimble, and with a capacity of 1,000. Obviously, this is well before movies, but Fisk is not identified for sure as the owner until the 1914 map.
The Fisk and the opera house are the same building. It was constructed by 1885, and the 1914 map shows a capacity of 900. The auditorium occupied the second floor. By 1892, no businesses are listed on the ground floor. It’s likely the auditorium remained where it was, but the ground floor storefronts were replaced by a lobby. The balcony was very deep, with a curved front, and wings extending along the side. By 1914, the stage had been remodeled to a flat front. No mention is made on the 1914 map of movies being shown.
The description isn’t accurate. The Hotel Pennell, aka the Fraternal Inn, was constructed in 1906. It’s a C-shaped structure with the opening facing Ohio. The Courtney cannot have occupied the lobby since the grand staircase still exists.
The building is only three stories. There were lodge rooms for the Masons and Odd Fellows on the third floor, but as those were used until the ‘80s, they can’t have been the location of the theater. I suggest that the theater may have been in retail space on the ground floor. There is no marquee on the building. There may have been, but it was gone by 2010. Current usage is a hotel and restaurant.
There may be some apartments, and there is retail on the east side and the SE corner.
Must have been in the block across from the courthouse. There’s no really obvious theater there, but a few existing buildings might have been the location.
Picture of the Kellogg should be removed, it’s a totally different building. Not sure if it ever showed movies, it seems to have become a church pretty early on.
Obviously no-one was doing art deco in 1948. I’m not sure what I’d call the facade, and the auditorium was likely done in a budget streamline style. The website is dead, and they are now using FB: https://www.facebook.com/PleasantHillPlayersCommunityTheatre/
Looking closer at my photos, and some others, that is definitely an aluminum poster case on the left. Does not look pre-1940. I think this must have re-opened, perhaps under another name.
I added a picture from a blah winter day long ago. On the 1916 Sanborn map, this building houses a bookstore/stationers. It appears to be vacant on the ‘19 streetview.
I think the NRHP listing is in error. Those older surveys were often very poorly researched. The 1918 Sanborn shows the ground floor with a saloon on the east and west of the ground floor, a barber with billiard room behind it in the center, a hall on the second floor, and a bar room on the east side of the third floor. I think the theater opened at some point later. Current usage is offices. Listing needs to be corrected as to the location of the other theater.
Another that didn’t last long. By December 1909, it was a jeweler with a tailor in the rear half. This building is not demolished. It has an ugly modern fill to the storefront, and looks like some sort of office.
If this really was the Ritz, and the photo is correct, there was an extensive remodel, probably post-WWII.
This hasn’t been demolished. It was a sad little church for some time, but looks abandoned.
This address cannot be right. 103 N Walnut is a very old one story commercial building. 103 S Walnut is a tiny little bar.
Unless something has changed, there is no such address. The even side of N Walnut is the courthouse lawn. Odds and evens switch sides on S Walnut, and where 124 might have been is a parking lot.
The Wikipedia page for Green Castle has a photo of Lincoln St in the 1890s. The theater is on the left end of the brick buildings. Although the water tower, city limit sign, etc. all say ‘Green Castle’, google and Wikipedia render it ‘Greencastle’.
The Sanborn map notes the theater as having a ‘Standard Booth’. Not sure what this means, and I’ve never seen it before. Perhaps a fireproof projection room?
The address and some of the other information are wrong. The 1916 map shows only one theater, on the no longer extant Court (Street?). Unless there has been renumbering, 118 was a house on the corner, and is now an empty lot. Even if the current 116 was also 118, the 1916 map shows it as a dry goods store.
There was an opera house in a 2 story building across from the courthouse, but no mention is made of movies. Address would have been on the odd side of the 100 block of S Main. It was constructed by 1884. The 2008 streetview shows the butchered remains of the ground floor, but the building has since been demolished.
I don’t think this was ever called the Summers. It was owned by a Mr. Summers. The first building was completely different, and quite a bit smaller, at least width-wise. It, along with most of the rest of the block, was destroyed by fire.
The library has a picture of the old Royal ablaze. It was taken from the courthouse roof, and you can see the fire was huge, with smoke and flame pouring out of the roofs of all the buildings along the block. Mr. Summers and fellow businessmen rebuilt the block in 1951. All of these buildings look fairly similar. The library also displays a few seats, a rewinder, and several pictures of the ‘new’ theater.
One final note, the building is not as wide as it appears. The façade on the right is a false front over a one story section.
The 1905 Cahn guide lists it as the ‘Butler Opera House’, managed by J.A. Trimble, and with a capacity of 1,000. Obviously, this is well before movies, but Fisk is not identified for sure as the owner until the 1914 map.
The Fisk and the opera house are the same building. It was constructed by 1885, and the 1914 map shows a capacity of 900. The auditorium occupied the second floor. By 1892, no businesses are listed on the ground floor. It’s likely the auditorium remained where it was, but the ground floor storefronts were replaced by a lobby. The balcony was very deep, with a curved front, and wings extending along the side. By 1914, the stage had been remodeled to a flat front. No mention is made on the 1914 map of movies being shown.
The description isn’t accurate. The Hotel Pennell, aka the Fraternal Inn, was constructed in 1906. It’s a C-shaped structure with the opening facing Ohio. The Courtney cannot have occupied the lobby since the grand staircase still exists. The building is only three stories. There were lodge rooms for the Masons and Odd Fellows on the third floor, but as those were used until the ‘80s, they can’t have been the location of the theater. I suggest that the theater may have been in retail space on the ground floor. There is no marquee on the building. There may have been, but it was gone by 2010. Current usage is a hotel and restaurant. There may be some apartments, and there is retail on the east side and the SE corner.
Must have been in the block across from the courthouse. There’s no really obvious theater there, but a few existing buildings might have been the location.
I’ll also point out that the vertical sign is not a restoration but a replacement.
Picture of the Kellogg should be removed, it’s a totally different building. Not sure if it ever showed movies, it seems to have become a church pretty early on.
Obviously no-one was doing art deco in 1948. I’m not sure what I’d call the facade, and the auditorium was likely done in a budget streamline style. The website is dead, and they are now using FB: https://www.facebook.com/PleasantHillPlayersCommunityTheatre/
No, this is a few blocks away, and now a church.
Looking closer at my photos, and some others, that is definitely an aluminum poster case on the left. Does not look pre-1940. I think this must have re-opened, perhaps under another name.
I guess Breadeaux was reusing a later businesses sign. Maybe it became a bar or something?
The building which later housed the Electric was built between 1885 and 1892, and is a grocery on the 1907 Sanborn, so it opened between 1908-1916.
Opened after 1916, when the Sanborn map shows a narrow one-story building at 214, which houses a carpet cleaner.
I added a picture from a blah winter day long ago. On the 1916 Sanborn map, this building houses a bookstore/stationers. It appears to be vacant on the ‘19 streetview.
I think the NRHP listing is in error. Those older surveys were often very poorly researched. The 1918 Sanborn shows the ground floor with a saloon on the east and west of the ground floor, a barber with billiard room behind it in the center, a hall on the second floor, and a bar room on the east side of the third floor. I think the theater opened at some point later. Current usage is offices. Listing needs to be corrected as to the location of the other theater.
If the address is accurate, this should be listed as demolished. The site is now occupied either by part of city hall or a store next door.
Should be listed as demolished. Site is now a parking lot. Could we rotate the photo?
As Joe noted in 2010, the manager can’t have been there since 1927 and only have 25 years of service. He arrived in 1957.
Another that didn’t last long. By December 1909, it was a jeweler with a tailor in the rear half. This building is not demolished. It has an ugly modern fill to the storefront, and looks like some sort of office.