Comments from SethG

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SethG
SethG commented about Towne Square Cinema on Jul 23, 2020 at 12:22 pm

Probably open long before 2009, when there was a remodel. Was called the Towne Square before 2013. The building was constructed between 1886 and 1892 as an extension of the original W.E. Miller department store next door to the west. Both buildings were extended to the rear in 1899. Still a department store on the 1914 map, and likely for many years after that.

SethG
SethG commented about Lyric Theater on Jul 23, 2020 at 8:32 am

Address given is wrong. The building is 113 S Main. It’s a bridal shop today. Facade has been modernized and changed, but generally matches the postcard. The current building does not match that on the lot on the 1914 map, which is the ‘newest’ available online.

SethG
SethG commented about Town Theatre on Jul 16, 2020 at 9:44 am

Thanks Joe, I’ll add the opera house. I think the Elks thing is a red herring, unless they perhaps built the replacement in 1915, and then had lost it by 1917.

SethG
SethG commented about Town Theatre on Jul 16, 2020 at 9:41 am

Another possibility is the Baxter Block, which was built between 1896 and 1902. Address was 107-109 E Washington, and on the 1902 map, the Elks hall is on the 2nd floor. By 1909, it’s an Owls ‘nest’, and today it is the site of yet another ugly little modern bank (but which doesn’t really look like something built after 1994).

SethG
SethG commented about Town Theatre on Jul 16, 2020 at 9:00 am

The 1905 Cahn guide gives the capacity for the opera house as 754.

SethG
SethG commented about Town Theatre on Jul 16, 2020 at 8:56 am

I don’t think the address is right. I suspect this might have been the old opera house. On the 1909 Sanborn, which is unfortunately the ‘newest’ available, 111 N Harrison is a one-story newsstand just south of the alley (where the fake colonial bank is today). The Elks met in a basic two story commercial building at 202 N Harrison, above a drugstore (where yet another ugly modern bank is today). The present 111 is a third ugly modern bank, which looks more ‘70s in its design.

The Alexandria Opera House was at 121-125. It was built around 1892. The front was 3 stories with a peaked roof. The auditorium was 1-2 stories. The stage was sharply bowed out, and the balcony had a concave front mirroring the curvature of the stage. The entry was a wide hallway between two small stores. The location is currently one of those little parks that dwindling towns put where buildings used to be.

SethG
SethG commented about Ritz Theatre on Jul 16, 2020 at 8:35 am

220 is the left side.

SethG
SethG commented about Alex Theatre on Jul 13, 2020 at 8:42 am

It’s open again. Website is: http://alexmovietheatre.com/

SethG
SethG commented about Baby Grand Theatre on Jul 12, 2020 at 6:41 am

I think this was probably demolished at the same time as the Elwood in 2000, maybe 2001.

SethG
SethG commented about Elwood Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 4:36 pm

In the picture now used as the main photo, the old Superba/Colonial/Baby Grand is visible as the Circle Pizza building.

The Odd Fellows Hall was built sometime before 1892 (probably not very long at all, given the architecture). The hall was on the third floor but the ground floor was home to a huge variety of businesses before its conversion, including briefly the Indiana Union Traction Co. (an interurban line) streetcar depot.

SethG
SethG commented about Baby Grand Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 4:28 pm

The correct address was 1526. This theater was in an old two story brick building which was built sometime before 1892. The Feb. 1910 map shows it as the Record Printing Co. It was probably a very basic conversion. The location of the building was just east of the mid-block alley, and at least as long ago as 2008 was a vacant lot. It’s now yet more surface parking for the few remaining businesses downtown. Should be changed to demolished.

SethG
SethG commented about Grand Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 4:10 pm

Address is wrong. Correct address was 302-306 S Anderson. There’s currently an abandoned gas station on the lot.

The building was a very large 3 story brick building with a peaked roof. Storefronts flanked the entry. The balcony was quite deep, with a concave front. The 1916 Sanborn still shows the name as the Kramer Grand Opera House.

The 1905 Cahn guide lists the Grand as a ‘New Theatre’, and gives the manager as J.A. Kramer. Charles Kramer (perhaps no relation) is the stage carpenter.

SethG
SethG commented about Princess Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 3:13 pm

Address is wrong, and this has not been demolished. The syntax in this entry is a bit weird, but I assume the building ‘dated back to’ 1882. It certainly appears on the 1892 map. The correct address is 112, and the building was there as of the 2018 streetview, when it was vacant. It had indeed originally been a store, and the masons met on the second floor for some time.

SethG
SethG commented about Ritz Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 11:41 am

For the temporary location, the 1930 maps are not digitized, and there does not seem to be an armory currently. I did find a newspaper article saying a new armory was constructed in 1928. It seems to have been replaced in the ‘50s.

SethG
SethG commented about Diana Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 11:25 am

Just to clarify, the prior theater was not owned by the Paoikos family until 1926.

SethG
SethG commented about Diana Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 11:17 am

To assist in any further research, the 1915 map shows the address to be 39-41.

SethG
SethG commented about Diana Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 8:17 am

This is under the wrong theater.

SethG
SethG commented about Ritz Theatre on Jul 11, 2020 at 8:11 am

Needs to be listed as demolished. The current structure is a chintzy cinderblock thing from maybe the ‘80s at oldest. The 1915 Sanborn shows a capacity of 960. The auditorium was pretty large, and the balcony was very deep, the opening forming almost a perfect circle.

SethG
SethG commented about Webster Theatre on Jul 9, 2020 at 2:05 pm

Surprising that there is no information at all about a theater that is still open.

SethG
SethG commented about Holden Theatre on Jul 9, 2020 at 1:58 pm

I added a picture of the current 117. This was an opera house, built sometime before 1885. On the early maps, it is referred to as a ‘public hall’. By 1914, it is referred to as an opera house, and the extension has been added to the rear. The opera house was on the second floor, with stores below. It is still an opera house on the 1931 map. The building was most recently a thrift store, but appears to be vacant.

Note that on the 1931 map, the first to show addresses, this building was 104-106 E 2nd. 117 W 2nd was a huge one story brick building which looks vaguely industrial. Its address is now 214 W 2nd.

Nothing specifically labeled as a movie theater appears on any map, so I’m pretty confident the opera house was it.

SethG
SethG commented about Scammon Theatre on Jul 7, 2020 at 5:37 pm

By the way, the address is a guess counting up from the south, and assuming the storefronts in the theater building had their own addresses.

SethG
SethG commented about Scammon Theatre on Jul 7, 2020 at 5:36 pm

Scammon’s decline was very rapid. Check out the census figures. This was a big coal mining area, and there were good sized towns all over the place. Seems that post 1920, the whole area collapsed. Most only have foundations left downtown. Scammon still has 3-4 old buildings.

SethG
SethG commented about Theatre on Jul 6, 2020 at 12:21 pm

Note that the address is a best guess for something on the fourth lot south of 4th Street on the east side of Main. The theater structure would have been just to the north of the concrete foundation visible just to the south of the house.

SethG
SethG commented about Theatre on Jul 6, 2020 at 12:19 pm

Note that the address is a best guess for something on the third lot north of 2nd street on the east side of Main.

SethG
SethG commented about Star Theatre on Jun 26, 2020 at 5:27 pm

Thanks for finding a name for this!