Gem Theatre

The Gem Theatre was one of three Southside Peoria neighborhood movie houses built in the 1910’s. It was also the least successful of the three, largely a silent movie house that functioned from 1916 to 1929 and a cup of coffee in 1933 before becoming a longer-standing church.

Just thirty years earlier, the Gem’s land was corn fields and cattle. But the combination of the Industrial Revolution - here by Keystone Woven Wire Fence Company in 1889 - streetcar lines to get folks from Bartonville to Peoria and back and a commercial district a mile North led by Szold’s Department Store meant there was a place for entertainment venues.

Independents Joe Hendricks and William McClintock opened the Gem Theatre in 1916 but their operation was short. It was taken over by a Mr. Harris and he transferred it to protectionist, Charles Lynch. Son of Szold’s and Son’s son, Adolph W., got involved in early movie theaters through the Apex Theatre Co. Apex opened the Imperial Theatre (later Avon Theatre) across from Szold’s and Son’s Store that had opened in 1880. Within a block and opening almost at the same time was Garden City Theater Company of Peoria’s Garden Theatre. And, as noted, the Gem Theatre within three years of the silent-era Garden Theatre and Imperial Theatre.

The Gem Theatre’s audience was different from the Garden Theatre and Imperial Theatre serving a working person neighborhood that included Bartonville and South Peoria. The reason that Bartonville was in its circle was because of the South Adams streetcar taking folks from B'ville right by the Gem Theatre. Likely as a sign of confidence in 1927, Szold purchased the Imperial Theatre and the Gem Theatre to rid the area of competition. The Garden Theatre transitioned, the Gem Theatre was closed, and the Imperial Theatre scuffled during the Depression.

Szold divested of the Gem Theatre offering it on a subleasing agreement in 1933 to Danny Wytcherly and Nick Frasco who wired it for sound. But that didn’t work and the Gem Theatre closed permanently within months. The building would be used as a church by two different congregations including the Prophesy Church - likely to lower the taxing liabilities of the property.

So while the Gem Theatre was the first Southside theatre to exit the industry, it would be followed about ten years later by the closure of the Garden Theatre with Szold’s putting all of the effort and time into the Avon Theatre (former Imperial Theatre). The Avon operated into 1956. So if you are keeping score, the Gem was the least successful of the Peoria South theatres and was demolished in 1966. Meanwhile, the Avon Theatre was the Southside champion with 43 years of film exhibition and demolition in 2010.

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