Ritz Theatre
119 E. Van Buren Street,
Centerville,
IA
52544
119 E. Van Buren Street,
Centerville,
IA
52544
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Architects: Roland 'Tip' Goucher Harrison, Frank E. Wetherell
Firms: Wetherell & Harrison
Functions: Special Events
Styles: Atmospheric, Mission Revival
Previous Names: Majestic Theatre, Orpheum Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
641.895.2515
Nearby Theaters
Built in 1893 and originally housing a newspaper’s offices for the Citizen. The Majestic Theatre was opened by February 1913. It later was renamed the Orpheum Theatre. After a remodeling in 1926, the Orpheum Theatre was renamed the Ritz Theatre.
Designed on the exterior in Mission Revival style, the interior was decorated in a Renaissance/Neo-Classical design complete with gilded plasterwork and a painted sky on the auditorium ceiling. The Ritz Theatre also contained a small orchestra pit, stage and balcony. After being a popular venue for movies and live entertainment for decades, the Ritz Theatre closed, and the building was occupied by everything from a drug store to a bridal shop to a church.
In 2000, the Appanoose County Coalition for the Arts was created, and took over ownership of the Ritz Theatre with the intent to restore the theatre to its 1920’s glory. A five part renovation plan was begun in August 2001. The Ritz Theatre was used for performing arts, classic film screenings and for rental purposes. It is now used for special events.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
When the Ritz Theatre was a movie theatre it seated 450 people.
when will it be ready … for me?
Some additional information here. I don’t know why there’s a discepancy in the two addresses, though.
http://tinyurl.com/3jfp38
From the September 29th post above:
It was at the Ritz Theatre that people came to see the movie that had been filmed on location on Centerville’s Town Square. The stars of the 1921 silent movie were Norma Talmadge and Harrison Ford. The title was Loves Redemption: Its a Wonderful Thing.
Harrison looks good for his age….
I’ve seen Harrison Ford in quite a few silent movie listings. He must have been popular in his day.
Plans for the restoration of the Ritz Theatre were done by the Des Moines firm Wetherell Ericsson Architects. The successor firm to Wetherell & Harrison, designers of many theaters in Iowa, Wetherell Ericsson merged with RDG Planning Design in 2007. RDG’s web site has this page about the Ritz. They give 2012 as the expected year for the completion of the project.
This is not showing movies, and is only open for special events. The name should probably revert to Ritz from the clumsy and verbose name used now.
The theater was open by Feb. 1913. The building was originally built for the Citizen, which ceased publication in May 1916. They originally used the entire building, but had retreated to the basement by the time the theater opened. The 1907 map shows the first floor as a pool & billiard hall. The side of the building still shows the original 1893 structure, with a second floor bay removed, and all the window openings bricked over. I’ve added a map view of the original layout.