By the way, the website is AI slop with fake reviews. It is not official. Apparently the whole domain of edan.io is stuff like this.
They use FB: https://www.facebook.com/WellingtonRegentTheater/ Even that page refers to an ‘official’ site which appears to be a fake full of malware! They probably abandoned it to save money.
It’s definitely on the 1915 map. The KHRI entry data fields say 1915, but the text says that a Gem opened here, burned in 1914, and this building was constructed in 1914. It also says the Regent renaming happened in 1920, and the theater was enlarged at that point. It additionally notes that old Jimmy Crow was in force for black and Mexican patrons until ‘midcentury’.
Reminder that this history is utter nonsense. I don’t think there was ever any such thing as the Corral, which was likely a nickname if it showed a lot of westerns.
The 1926 Yearbook has a Strand with 250 seats, but no Star. 1927 and 1929 list a Star with 514 seats. The 1933 Yearbook has a Star with 250 seats listed as closed, but no Strand. Still the Star with 250 seats in 1949. It seems to have become the Chief in 1950 or ‘51.
This was a Fox Midwest theater throughout the ‘40s at least.
The photo of the fire damage shows the second location of the Star and needs to be moved to the Chief listing. The original location of the Star was constructed sometime between 1884 and 1886, and was later extended. I’ve added a Sanborn view.
The picture is wrong. It shows the Star at 626. The Star at 506 had no columns in the entry.
This entry is also garbled. It should say that the Star opened at 626, and moved here in 1913. I think the theater may have been a new build, as it does not match the building shown on the 1909 map. The Star was damaged in the August 4th, 1914 fire that destroyed the center of the block, including the building just to the north. The building today has a midcentury storefront belonging to Lasater’s, the first retail tenant after the theater closed. It is in good shape, but vacant.
Actually, as an extra poke in the eye, the little spike and urns have been removed from the roofline, and the ornamental opening in the center has been ruined and filled with cement. It’s much uglier than it was a few years ago.
Now a urology clinic. The marquee has gone from white to some nasty house-flipper putty color, and the ugly storefront has been replaced by a new ugly storefront with a chintzy fake tile canopy. The original pent tile ornamentation on the roofline has also been replaced by cheap plastic fakes.
The building is the Nelson & Ostenberg building, which was constructed sometime between 1905 and 1911 along with the identical T.W. Roach building to the south. It appears from the night photo that the theater entry was about where today’s streetview shows the door between 141 and 143. The building is in good shape, with a lame HGTV storefront for some boutiques replacing a rather battered 1960s (?) storefront sometime around 2020. The theater was apparently on the ground floor. The maps which would show it operating are not available online.
SethG
commented about
Air Domeon
Mar 22, 2026 at 4:46 pm
Wasn’t there, but I did find it. I’ll add a listing.
The 1938 remodel was fairly cheap, considering the demolition of the three story building which fronted the auditorium, and its replacement by a ‘modern’ one story storefront section.
The original building behind which the auditorium was constructed was the Grand Central Hotel, the northern half of which appears on the 1884 map, with the rest completed by 1887. It was oddly shallow, and divided into quite a few narrow storefronts. It appears to have been deepened to connect it to the auditorium.
The auditorium was behind the storefronts, and is now a parking lot, like about 2/3 of the old downtown. Can anyone explain the significance of the F.C.-A.O. flanking the York name on the facade? Sadly, some of the streamline ornamentation was removed between 2013 and 2018. I don’t know why, but I never got a picture of this. The storefronts are now a grocery store.
It seems that this replaced an earlier Dixie/Opera House of 100 seats. It may have been listed in the 1930 Yearbook as the Trickett, which was wired for sound.
According to information on a Flickr photo from 2016, this served as the community center before the new one was built across the street, and was used as a theater, run by volunteers. Not sure how accurate that is.
This had to have been in the Township Hall, which was built by the WPA in 1936. Address is 501 Main St. Probably didn’t last long, considering the town peaked at around 250. Not listed in the Yearbooks I checked (1948, ‘49, '51).
SethG
commented about
Theateron
Mar 17, 2026 at 6:19 am
It’s also possible that this may have been the Novelty Theatre, which is listed in the AMPD with an impossible 1317 address, which would have put it on the courthouse lawn.
By the way, the website is AI slop with fake reviews. It is not official. Apparently the whole domain of edan.io is stuff like this.
They use FB: https://www.facebook.com/WellingtonRegentTheater/ Even that page refers to an ‘official’ site which appears to be a fake full of malware! They probably abandoned it to save money.
When I saw this in 2010, it had godawful wood paneling covering the front. So glad it’s been removed.
It’s definitely on the 1915 map. The KHRI entry data fields say 1915, but the text says that a Gem opened here, burned in 1914, and this building was constructed in 1914. It also says the Regent renaming happened in 1920, and the theater was enlarged at that point. It additionally notes that old Jimmy Crow was in force for black and Mexican patrons until ‘midcentury’.
Reminder that this history is utter nonsense. I don’t think there was ever any such thing as the Corral, which was likely a nickname if it showed a lot of westerns.
The 1926 Yearbook has a Strand with 250 seats, but no Star. 1927 and 1929 list a Star with 514 seats. The 1933 Yearbook has a Star with 250 seats listed as closed, but no Strand. Still the Star with 250 seats in 1949. It seems to have become the Chief in 1950 or ‘51.
This was a Fox Midwest theater throughout the ‘40s at least.
The photo of the fire damage shows the second location of the Star and needs to be moved to the Chief listing. The original location of the Star was constructed sometime between 1884 and 1886, and was later extended. I’ve added a Sanborn view.
The picture is wrong. It shows the Star at 626. The Star at 506 had no columns in the entry.
This entry is also garbled. It should say that the Star opened at 626, and moved here in 1913. I think the theater may have been a new build, as it does not match the building shown on the 1909 map. The Star was damaged in the August 4th, 1914 fire that destroyed the center of the block, including the building just to the north. The building today has a midcentury storefront belonging to Lasater’s, the first retail tenant after the theater closed. It is in good shape, but vacant.
This is the wrong Star. This is the 506 location.
Actually, as an extra poke in the eye, the little spike and urns have been removed from the roofline, and the ornamental opening in the center has been ruined and filled with cement. It’s much uglier than it was a few years ago.
Now a urology clinic. The marquee has gone from white to some nasty house-flipper putty color, and the ugly storefront has been replaced by a new ugly storefront with a chintzy fake tile canopy. The original pent tile ornamentation on the roofline has also been replaced by cheap plastic fakes.
The building is the Nelson & Ostenberg building, which was constructed sometime between 1905 and 1911 along with the identical T.W. Roach building to the south. It appears from the night photo that the theater entry was about where today’s streetview shows the door between 141 and 143. The building is in good shape, with a lame HGTV storefront for some boutiques replacing a rather battered 1960s (?) storefront sometime around 2020. The theater was apparently on the ground floor. The maps which would show it operating are not available online.
Wasn’t there, but I did find it. I’ll add a listing.
The 1938 remodel was fairly cheap, considering the demolition of the three story building which fronted the auditorium, and its replacement by a ‘modern’ one story storefront section.
The original building behind which the auditorium was constructed was the Grand Central Hotel, the northern half of which appears on the 1884 map, with the rest completed by 1887. It was oddly shallow, and divided into quite a few narrow storefronts. It appears to have been deepened to connect it to the auditorium.
The auditorium was behind the storefronts, and is now a parking lot, like about 2/3 of the old downtown. Can anyone explain the significance of the F.C.-A.O. flanking the York name on the facade? Sadly, some of the streamline ornamentation was removed between 2013 and 2018. I don’t know why, but I never got a picture of this. The storefronts are now a grocery store.
The building was built as a drug store sometime between 1912 and 1917. Still retail in 1985. I assume the theater is fairly recent.
Status needs to be corrected. This was demolished sometime around 1945 and replaced by a Neisner’s department store. That building is still there.
The address is right on the front of the building.
It seems that this replaced an earlier Dixie/Opera House of 100 seats. It may have been listed in the 1930 Yearbook as the Trickett, which was wired for sound.
According to information on a Flickr photo from 2016, this served as the community center before the new one was built across the street, and was used as a theater, run by volunteers. Not sure how accurate that is.
This had to have been in the Township Hall, which was built by the WPA in 1936. Address is 501 Main St. Probably didn’t last long, considering the town peaked at around 250. Not listed in the Yearbooks I checked (1948, ‘49, '51).
It’s also possible that this may have been the Novelty Theatre, which is listed in the AMPD with an impossible 1317 address, which would have put it on the courthouse lawn.
Possibly earlier known as the Dickinson or Plaza, both of which are listed in the 1936 Yearbook.
The 1914 map shows this building as a fruit stand. It’s now a flea market. The history should be updated with Joe’s information.
History and aka needs an update per Joe’s information. This is now a coffee shop.
Probably on the SW corner, where the ugly bank is.