Kentucky Theatre
230 Second Street,
Henderson,
KY
42420
230 Second Street,
Henderson,
KY
42420
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Located around the corner from the former Kraver Theatre (demolished during the 1970’s for a parking lot) on Second Street between Main Street and Elm Street. The Kentucky Theatre closed in the late-1960’s and reopened briefly in the early-1970’s as the Seven Arts Theatre before closing again. The building still stands today, housing the Chamber of Commerce office space.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The building across the street, at 225 2nd Street, sure looks like it was an old upper floor opera house.
There’s nothing at 225. I assume you mean 221, which is just your standard old commercial building. The three story thing had an Odd Fellows lodge on the third floor.
Principal Theatres and the Masonic Temple folks got together to create a multi-use building. It was architected by J. Frisbee Sanders and Albert Weindel of Sanders and Weindel. Principal opened the Kentucky Theatre with the Vitaphone sound system likely from the Grand Theatre on Nov. 12, 1929 with “Salute.” Warner Brothers Circuit took on the local theaters operating both the Kentucky and Grand until the latter burned down. “Gone with the Wind” was a huge hit beginning March 12, 1940 at the incredibly high price of $1.26 a seat. A local film, “Henderson in Reelife” was another hit on Feb. 12, 1942.
The Kentucky sure looks like it closed at the end of its 30-year lease in 1959 though it may have continued without advertising. But the theatre was definitely remodeled out of existence in 1964 stripped down to its walls to became a stage play venue. Then that was remodeled out of existence when the entire building was transformed becoming home to the Citi-Center Mall. And that was pretty much remodeled when it became home to the town’s Civic Center.