The Academy was not in the opera house space, it was in the ground floor. The opera house seems to have still been in use in 1916, possibly only for live performances.
Shown ‘From Plans’ on the Nov. 1910 Sanborn, so it may not have been completed yet. This was actually a much larger building than the photo indicates. Quite deep, solidly constructed. The capacity is shown as 800.
I wonder if the ID isn’t wrong. I’d be shocked that such a large purpose-built structure would close without making the conversion. In addition, the capacity mismatch is pretty extreme. That said, neither the 1910 or 1916 maps show any other theaters.
The Academy took its name from its location in the Academy of Music Building, alternately known as the Galt & Tracy Block, or the George S. Tracy Block. This was built sometime before 1884, and had an opera house on the second and third floor. The theater was definitely operating by 1916, when the map shows a one story addition at the rear of the space (this is now gone). In 1910, the space was a drugstore.
The building has been given a rather unsympathetic remodel (a Sterling specialty), and the entire thing is now a furniture store. 314 was originally the southernmost of six storefronts.
Not demolished, but mutilated by a bad remodel. If it was ever a sporting goods store, that was gone by 2007, when it was vacant. Most recent streetview shows a furniture/lighting store. Best to just say retail.
The only good candidates for anything demolished on Main would be the little telephone building south of the old city hall, the ugly thing on the southeast corner with 8th, the lot next to the grocery store, and the bank. I wonder, given the dates, if both weren’t in the same building.
Building demolished in 1975, after being damaged in a fire in 1961. The building was remodeled a few times. I’ve added a map view with the later appearance.
This might well have been called the Empire and then the Pastime. Or the Pastime may have been what later became the Radio. Not enough information to say for sure. This was always a small town, and there aren’t that many choices for buildings that could have held a theater.
The part of this entry about the opera house is completely wrong. Adler’s Opera House was much further down the block, toward what was then Chestnut (now State). It’s still there, a very well preserved structure with an ‘A’ in the keystone above the central window.
The Melba building does seem to have begun as a store, but the building does not appear until the 1923 map, replacing some small wooden shops on the 1914 map.
On the 1919 map, 816 is a auto storage building that had earlier been used as a bottling plant. Given the small size and nearly square shape, the theater was most likely a replacement. On the 2013 streetview, there is one building left on this block, but the whole thing is now vacant lots.
I wonder if this theater was remodeled or reconstructed at some point? As shown on the 1921 map, it’s a wooden building with stucco coating. Only the small commercial space off to the side is brick.
Just to clarify, there is no remnant of the older building. What can be seen in the picture of the bank is a little penthouse on the roof, probably a mechanical room.
In addition, someone has posted a newspaper photo showing that the theater building was razed completely. The back wall of the bank may have been reused, since the alley windows look pretty old-fashioned.
Definitely needs to be listed as demolished. Looks like the church put up that ugly addition sometime right after the theater closed, judging by the architecture.
No, but he could have taken over a vacant operation just to get the equipment and seats, or bought it to reopen it. At any rate, there is definitely only one theater in town in 1921.
Atlanta Ave south of the railroad, and especially the portion between Ashe and Cohen (then known as B through D Streets), seem to have been the black neighborhood. The only businesses shown at all on the 1921 map were a tiny group of wooden stores on the east side, north of 20th. I doubt this was further south. The map ends at about the intersection with 17th, and there are very few structures.
Seating information taken from the 1905 Cahn guide, so it may have been before the auditorium was restructured.
Thanks to Ken Roe for providing some of this information.
Added a photo of the building today, and a Sanborn showing the arrangement when the theater was open.
The Academy was not in the opera house space, it was in the ground floor. The opera house seems to have still been in use in 1916, possibly only for live performances.
Shown ‘From Plans’ on the Nov. 1910 Sanborn, so it may not have been completed yet. This was actually a much larger building than the photo indicates. Quite deep, solidly constructed. The capacity is shown as 800.
I wonder if the ID isn’t wrong. I’d be shocked that such a large purpose-built structure would close without making the conversion. In addition, the capacity mismatch is pretty extreme. That said, neither the 1910 or 1916 maps show any other theaters.
The Academy took its name from its location in the Academy of Music Building, alternately known as the Galt & Tracy Block, or the George S. Tracy Block. This was built sometime before 1884, and had an opera house on the second and third floor. The theater was definitely operating by 1916, when the map shows a one story addition at the rear of the space (this is now gone). In 1910, the space was a drugstore.
The building has been given a rather unsympathetic remodel (a Sterling specialty), and the entire thing is now a furniture store. 314 was originally the southernmost of six storefronts.
There was presumably a Family theater for this to be a ‘New’ version of, but I’m not sure where that might have been.
Not demolished, but mutilated by a bad remodel. If it was ever a sporting goods store, that was gone by 2007, when it was vacant. Most recent streetview shows a furniture/lighting store. Best to just say retail.
The only good candidates for anything demolished on Main would be the little telephone building south of the old city hall, the ugly thing on the southeast corner with 8th, the lot next to the grocery store, and the bank. I wonder, given the dates, if both weren’t in the same building.
The theater is listed on both the 1950 and 1956 maps with no note of closure. Perhaps it was only used for stage performances?
Building demolished in 1975, after being damaged in a fire in 1961. The building was remodeled a few times. I’ve added a map view with the later appearance.
This might well have been called the Empire and then the Pastime. Or the Pastime may have been what later became the Radio. Not enough information to say for sure. This was always a small town, and there aren’t that many choices for buildings that could have held a theater.
The part of this entry about the opera house is completely wrong. Adler’s Opera House was much further down the block, toward what was then Chestnut (now State). It’s still there, a very well preserved structure with an ‘A’ in the keystone above the central window.
The Melba building does seem to have begun as a store, but the building does not appear until the 1923 map, replacing some small wooden shops on the 1914 map.
On the 1919 map, 816 is a auto storage building that had earlier been used as a bottling plant. Given the small size and nearly square shape, the theater was most likely a replacement. On the 2013 streetview, there is one building left on this block, but the whole thing is now vacant lots.
It’s not clear whether this was the actual name, or a generic title by the surveyor. The grocery store building is still there.
Added a photo of the actual building.
Finally, the building at 408 first appears on the 1917 map as a garage. The section at the rear (facing Jackson) was originally two stories.
The building says Harris at the top, over the date 1927. Any idea if he was the investor who built the theater?
I wonder if this theater was remodeled or reconstructed at some point? As shown on the 1921 map, it’s a wooden building with stucco coating. Only the small commercial space off to the side is brick.
Just to clarify, there is no remnant of the older building. What can be seen in the picture of the bank is a little penthouse on the roof, probably a mechanical room.
In addition, someone has posted a newspaper photo showing that the theater building was razed completely. The back wall of the bank may have been reused, since the alley windows look pretty old-fashioned.
That’s not part of an older building, it’s a little penthouse on the roof, probably a mechanical room.
Definitely needs to be listed as demolished. Looks like the church put up that ugly addition sometime right after the theater closed, judging by the architecture.
No, but he could have taken over a vacant operation just to get the equipment and seats, or bought it to reopen it. At any rate, there is definitely only one theater in town in 1921.
Atlanta Ave south of the railroad, and especially the portion between Ashe and Cohen (then known as B through D Streets), seem to have been the black neighborhood. The only businesses shown at all on the 1921 map were a tiny group of wooden stores on the east side, north of 20th. I doubt this was further south. The map ends at about the intersection with 17th, and there are very few structures.
Possibly what is now a Masonic lodge at 200 S Atlanta Ave?