Majestic Theatre
28 E. Main Street,
Tipp City,
OH
45371
28 E. Main Street,
Tipp City,
OH
45371
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The 1926 Sanborn shows a theatre operating in the westernmost storefront of Chaffee’s Opera House, a large 3-4 story brick structure downtown. The building dates to sometime before 1885, and the space used as the cinema was a dry goods store on the 1911 map.
While this theatre was much larger than the small and primitive structure on N. 2nd Street, it was gone by 1948, when the space was again retail. Today is is occupied by a clothing and décor store.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Was Tipp City with its Chafee’s Opera House once known as “Tippecanoe City” ? In the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide there is a Chafer’s Chaffer’s Opera House in Tippecanoe City, Ohio. (the theater name is spelled both ways). It was on the second floor and had 650 seats, and gas illumination. S. E. Smith was Mgr. The town population in 1897 was 1,800.
Yes, it was called Tippecanoe City, but the post office made them change it because there is a tiny unincorporated town 200 miles away called Tippecanoe. The Sanborn map spells it Chaffe’s a few times (but also Chaffee’s), and the 1905-6 Cahn guide spelled it Chaffee’s.
The Gem Theatre was listed in the 1914-1915 edition of the American Motion Picture Directory, with no numerical street address. Possibly it is the same space, but if so, its name was no longer the Gem.
The 1926 Film Daily Yearbook lists two theatres in Tippecanoe City (name changed to Tipp City in 1938), one was simply referred to as “Auditorium”, the other “Majestic”. While no addresses are given, I’m guessing this is the Majestic, based on its size. The Auditorium had over 800 seats, The Majestic is listed in the 1927-29 editions of the FDY with 250, which sounds more like a converted retail space.
The Majestic was open by January of 1920, when one of its operators was reported in attendance at a conference in the January 24 issue of the Exhibitors Herald. I found no record of it after the 1929 FDY entry I mentioned.
I think the Auditorium is another recently listed Tipp City venue, I’ll supply information, including opening and and closing dates on that page later.
The ‘Auditorium’ is certainly the township building. Once the website is fixed, I’ll add a picture of this and the Auditorium.
I don’t know why, but I still cannot add a picture of either theater, although I did add one of something else successfully today.