State Theater

kencmcintyre on April 10, 2007 at 3:19 pm

Here is a 12/10/53 article from the Sheboygan Press re demolition of the theater:

State Theater On S. 12th Street Being Demolished;
New Structure To Be Built

Sheboygan’s bustling southside business sectionâ€"the 1500 Block of S 12th Stâ€"is losing an “old timer” among its family of buildings But in its place next year will rise a new and modern structure.
Currently passing from the life of the thoroughfareâ€" under the wrecking ballâ€"is the 39-year-old State Theater building at 1511 S. 12th St, already only a shell of its former self The neighborhood movie place, darkened since the last film flickered across its screen late last year, is being torn down by Clarence J. Van Akkeren, who purchased the property from theater man Nic Johnson.

Mr. Van Akkeren, owner and operator of Van’s Radio and Television Service around the corner at 1526-C S. 12th St., announced that he plans to erect a complete new stone building on the site to house his expanding business. Once the demolition of the State Theater building is complete, the new construction will begin, probably not until next spring, however. The new building will mark Van
Akkeren’s 30th year in business here. He said tentative plans call for a one-story building about 65 feet deep and with a garage and loading shed in the rear. A modern radio and TV service shop will be located in the front of the building which will face west onto 12th Sheet. It is possible that a second story may be added later.

According to the memoirs of veteran businessmen in the 1500 Block, the theater venture was originally launched in 1914 by a corporation made up of Gus Radtke, Ernest and Otto Aldag, William Bickel and Fred Kuester, all now deceased, operating under the name of the South Side Amusement Co. Known originally as the Butterfly Theater, the show house was managed for the corporation by Radtke and Kuester during the silent picture days. In the early 1930’s the theater
was leased by Mr. Johnson, who purchased it from the corporation after a fire that started in the projection booth had extensively damaged the interior in 1934. Later Johnson sub-leased
the theater to several local men, including Earl Helfman and Nic Berg, the latter the most recent operator who discontinued shows there late in 1952.

rivest266 on December 20, 2016 at 3:43 am

This opened on April 20th, 1940 Grand opening ad in the photo section

Found on Newspapers.com