Voncastle Theatre

23 E. Washington Street,
Greencastle, IN 46135

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Vonderschmitt Theatres

Styles: Art Deco

Nearby Theaters

The Voncastle, Greencastle, Indiana, c. 1970

This was one of two theatres in town when I was growing up and when I was an undergraduate. Originally built as a store, the Voncastle Theatre was opened June 15, 1925 and closed May 20, 1973 with Hugo Stiglitz in “Robinson Crusoe and the Tiger”. It was soon demolished to make way for a bank parking lot. I worked in the box office at the last show. The “Von” was part of the Vonderschmitt Theatres chain in Indiana.

Contributed by Jean Van Meter

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

Patsy
Patsy on August 18, 2005 at 9:13 pm

Another art deco theatre “torn down in the early Seventies to make way for a bank parking lot”. Urban renewal or redevelopment? I have a friend who grew up in Greencastle so I wonder if she has memories of the Von Castle Theatre? My hometown art deco theatre was torn down in the early Nineties to make way for a park!

aaronbirt
aaronbirt on May 22, 2007 at 6:38 pm

The las movie I saw at the Von Castle was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This theatre was great! I wish i could find a pic of at least the sign!!

aaron birt

Jenneral
Jenneral on August 22, 2009 at 12:22 pm

The Voncastle was a great theatre run by Mr and Mrs Dodds. She ran it for years after he died. I remember the matinees in the summer where they would have prize giveaways for the kids. I won a puppy there once from the local pet shop.

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on November 15, 2010 at 2:11 pm

To answer Chuck1231’s question, I looked in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac under “Vonderschmitt Amusement Enterprises”, whose headquarters was in the Indiana Th. in Bloomington. It lists 2 theaters in Greencastle, the Strand and the Variety. But none named the “Voncastle”.

Texas2step
Texas2step on June 18, 2017 at 6:59 pm

This one operated from June 15, 1925 to May 20, 1973.

SethG
SethG on June 7, 2021 at 12:26 pm

Not sure why this is listed as art deco, unless the auditorium had been redone during the ‘30s. This beautiful stone-fronted set of stores was the Bayne Block, built sometime before 1887. There were originally 5 storefronts, and it looks like the theater took up two of these, the old 21, which was a wider space, and 23, keeping that address. Too bad some short-sighted fools thought a bare patch of asphalt was a better look for downtown.

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