Theatre
3 1st Avenue NW,
Hampton,
IA
50441
3 1st Avenue NW,
Hampton,
IA
50441
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This theatre first appears on the 1921 Sanborn, in a narrow one-story wooden building. It’s possible this was a remodel of a small wooden store that had been there since before 1892, but it’s more likely that the building was replaced, sometime after 1907.
Despite being rather crude, and located practically next door to a much larger and finer theater, this theatre remains in operation on the 1944 map. It’s unclear when it closed. The building has been remodeled into office space, currently occupied by the Iowa State extension office.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
In 1914 Hampton had a house called the Lyric Theatre, but it was at 119 Main Street. Perhaps this item from the January 10, 1919 issue of Film Daily is a clue, or maybe not: “Hampton, Iowa—The Star has been leased to James Keefe, who will operate it in connection with the Windsor.” The only theater listed at Hampton in the 1926, 1929 and 1938 FDYs is the Windsor, and I’m not hopeful that we’d find the Star listed if we checked more of them.
However, there is a second house listed at Hampton in the 1944 FDY, the 280-seat Lido. If no other theaters (but the Windsor) appear on the 1944 map, at least we’ve got a late name for this house. Whether or not it was earlier the Star remains moot, but does seem likely. It might be that once it came under the control of the operators of the Windsor they just kept it mothballed for a long time.
Main became Federal. 119 is sort of hard to pin down. On the 1913 map, there is no 119, and it would have been a house. On later maps, 119 is part of what used to be Harriman’s Opera Hall. That building burned in 1945-6. The 1913 and 1921 maps show that part as a pool hall, but it was certainly large enough to have served as a theater. The opera house itself reportedly closed when the Windsor opened.