Uptown Theatre

wow looks like an interesting theatre,unique look with the paintings and vast variety of colors. Anyone have any more info?

The theatre's web site can be found at http://www.themajestic.org

The restoration group is listing the theatre as the Majestic Theatre and the the address for the Majestic Theatre (AKA Uptown) is 1430 Washington Ave., Racine, Wi. 53403.

I live right above this theatre and, although beautiful, is in need of major restoration. It doesn't look anything like the drawing and I dought it will ever look like that. And at the rate that the restoration group is going, I wouldn't anticipate full restoration on this theatre for a while.

What a good news.

Greeting from a lonely cinema researcher in Hong Kong.

Wow! I had no idea something like this was going on up in Racine. The official web site is not working, however. Anybody know what is happening these days?

Nothing at all is going on. Everyone keeps saying “restore, restore, restore,” but the reality of it all is that it is estimated to cost over 3 million dollars just to get the ground work done. Take into mind the buildings current condition... foundation is falling apart, the plumbing throughout the building needs to be replaced, the electrical wiring needs to be updated including in the apartments, the apartments run on out-of-date circuit breakers, all of the apartments need newer appliances (half of the refrigerators don't function properly), the entire roof needs to be replaced, there is extensive water damage in the lower theatre and also in both of the stores below, the plaster decorative molding in the theatre have mostly been pried from the walls, the original seats have been chiseled from the floor and stolen, the rooftop space in the “Courtyard” needs extensive repair due to being ill-maintained. The list of problems goes on and on.

The sad reality is that out of the eight apartments, only a couple legally are inhabitable. Apartment 1 has a huge hole in the kitchen floor, and the bathroom plumbing is leaking causing water damage in the store below. Apartment 2 has a toilet which leaks at the base causing further water damage in the store below, also half of the outlets are working, the refrigerator is malfunctioning, the patio has holes in it where rain and snow build up cause even more water damage to the store below, not to mention the fascia board by the gutter work needs to be replaced, when it snows or rains the bedroom window rains on the inside. Apartment 3 needs new cooking gas valves, they are without a stove, and the marquee under the street side windows leaks extensively when it rains. Apartments 4 suffered smoke damage from a fire, the walls were not properly cleaned, just repainted, and the smell of soot is lingering, from the fire fighter’s dousing the flames, the extensive water damaged the walls and went wall right down into the second store below, the plumbing for the shower and tub needs to be fixed and the light fixture needs to be replaced in the bedroom, it of course is not in working condition. Apartment 5 also needs bathroom plumbing to be fixed because it leaks into the second store right below causing water damage. Apartment 7 needs the electrical wiring to be redone because only two out of 8 outlets work. And finally Apartment 8, this is the worst of all . . . the stove doesn’t work, the refrigerator needs to be replaced, there is no hot water to speak of in the kitchen, only one outlet works in the living room, the wall of the first bedroom needs to be tuck-pointed due to moisture getting through holes in the brick and mortar causing the inner wall and the outer wall to separate when it hits freezing temperatures, there are plumbing issues in the bathroom and there are also major roof problems above this apartment.

So are you still wondering whatever happened to this old beauty? It has truly turned into a run-down slum. The only profit is coming from the apartments, and that is not reliable, since the turnover rate here is high. Not many people will put up with the living conditions. The restoration idea is wonderful, but this building is a bigger monster than one might think.

I am interested in this theatre. Would unfogged eyes please email me at popcorn221@msn.com

Why does this theatre have apartments?

Most theatres were built around rental properties. This is nothing unusal.

True, some were built around rental properties, but this one was built with them. There is a difference. If you go down to the local Historical Museum in Racine, you can veiw the blue prints for the building. The Historical Society says that the building was built with 8 apartments to house the actors/actresses during the play season. Another interesting tid-bit is that the apartments have old style phones that all connect down to the dressing room area if you follow the lines.

unfogged eyes: Thanks for the apartment explanation and old style phone information as it just sounded, to me, like it was a different set up than the theatre being built 'around rental properties'. What a unique blue print to house the actors/actresses during the play season though sad to read the conditon of these apartments today. The phase...."if walls could talk" comes to mind!

unfogged eyes: Interesting to note that this theatre was built "with them" which included phones connected to the dressing room area though sad to read about the overall condition of the theatre and of these 8 apartments. The phrase....."if walls could talk" comes to mind!

Does this theatre having a working official website as the one listed doesn't seem to work? And the artist's rendering is beautiful!

The theatre doesn't have an official working website that I am aware of unfortunately. I am getting ready to take some pictures of the place as it is today, to be compared to the artist's rendering. I think the artwork is beautiful, but what is actually left today is nothing more than just sad. I will make all of the current photos of the theatre available online, once they are online I will post a link on here showing you where you can view them if you are interested.

unfogged eyes: Thanks so much as I find this theatre of CT interest! I'm sure CT member, Jim Rankin who resides in nearby Milwaukee probably knows about this theatre and much of its history.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29028786@N00/

Hopefully this link will lead to some photos taken recently... more will be added later on.

unfogged: Thanks for the flickr.com site and hopefully in the near future we can view more particularly the interior.

Also I'd like to compare the artist's rendition for restoration plans to what it looks like today especially the colorful scene above the stage area. And why was the name changed from Majestic to Uptown?

The area that the theatre is in is called Uptown Racine, so after the theatre went out of commercial business, running movies and plays, it was renamed Uptown Theatre/Apartments do to new ownership.
The pictures taken of the mural in the actual theatre came out really dark due to lack of lighting, so on my next visit out I will try to get better shots worth posting.

unfogged: Thanks in regards to a mural photo(s).

I have posted more photos at the Flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/29028786@N00/
the mural ones still came out dark, but it was the best I could manage. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

unfogged: Thank you! Though some of the photos are dark I clicked on them all to enlarge and could see the mural photos rather well as I could make out a couple of the figurines and then looked back at the artist's rendering to compare. Such a shame that this theatre was left to deteriorate over the many years. I've seen more than a few dirty theatre seats covered in dust since becoming a member of CT so these didn't shock me...they just made me sad.

I'm still trying to bring up the official website for the Majestic, but am still having trouble.

I honestly wouldn't be shocked at all if they abandoned the website like they did the theatre. If I am not mistaken the "Official Website" was originally created by a man who had the theatre on land contract. I could be wrong but talking to the most current owners, they had nothing to do with it, and they have had legal possession for close to 20 years. So I am told. The building has been for sale and whatnot for years. Different business people come and go with big dreams for the building and get land contracts. So far all have failed to restore the theatre. One man even went as far as to hold a fundraiser for restoration, and as soon as the money was in his hands he left town. Legal actions were taken against him, but it is just sad that it had come down to that. People that live in the area have given up on the old girl for the most part. I guess after years and years of neglect and abuse, people have let go of the realistic dreams the theatre once had.

I have maxed out the upload capacity on Flickr, so next month I will be adding the rest of the shots taken at the Theatre.

unfogged eyes, please contact me. I'm with The Journal Times in Racine and want to write about the Uptown.
Thanks.
chris.bennett@lee.net

cbennett5: Glad to read that someone wants to write a story at the Uptown/Majestic so I hope that it will find its way to CT and this link, in time. Thanks.

Hope the Journal Times article may get some influencial people interested in the resotration of the Uptown/Majestic before it gets too late to be done.

The place is pretty far gone already. Large wall sections have disintegrated down to the metal skeleton. I understand that it is possible to restore a building in this state of repair (the Detroit Symphony Hall is the example that has been related to me). But it is going to run into the millions to get the theatre functional on a basic level. I'd love to be proven wrong. But I have doubts that this project is going to come to pass. It seems to be lost in that cycle of people with big ideas coming and going year after year, punctuated by the occasional act of fraud (see Uptown Theatre, Chicago).

New Pictures on Flickr are up, http://www.flickr.com/photos/29028786@N00/ Enjoy!

unfogged eyes: Thanks for the new Flickr pix. This once beautiful theatre should never been allowed to deteriorate to this extent!

Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1982

Uptown Theater (added 1982 - Building - #82000702)
Also known as Majestic Theater;See Also:Historic Sixth Street Business Dis
1426-1430 Washington Ave., Racine
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Denham,Wade B.
Architectural Style: Late Gothic Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Business, Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade
Current Sub-function: Organizational, Specialty Store

Each time I visit this link I marvel over the artist's rendition and love the beautiful murals so I hope that this theatre can be brought back with much TLC.

Among the many photos posted on this link is the subway tile in one of the bathrooms which is used alot in many new homes so its always been 'in style' and continues to be so this theatre and that tile deserves to be restored in this Racine Wisconsin theatre.

Wow, how sad. It looks like a theatre that was once a beautiful space and now a rundown mess. Its a miracle the city hasn't condemned it yet. I'm sure it will only be a matter of time until it is. So many theatres in the area that could use the work, so little interest/money to do any of them.

I know a lot about this theater. I have worked in there and know its structure and interior real well. I would love to se this theater functional. Please e-mail me and I can share the info. I know along with memorabilia, etc. Sarah cptankid188@yahoo.com

sorry its captankid188@yahoo.com

A Marr & Colton theater organ size 3/7 was installed in the Majestic Theater in 1928.

A couple of items for the record: the architecture is Gothic, a rather rare style amongst movie palaces; and the theatre had already been renamed the Uptown in the 1940s, long before its closure near New Years Day of 1959. Its manager then was a Mr. Gross or Groce, and at the Uptown's closure he was immediately appointed to manage the Kenosha Theatre in Kenosha and when the Kenosha closed on April 21, 1963 he took over the Lake Theatre (formerly the Gateway, now the Rhode Opera House) three blocks north, all Standard Theatres chain houses.

There was a Preservation Racine tour of the Uptown in the fall of 1981 and restoration talk was flowing even then. Around that time some rock concerts were held in the auditorium, but patrons had to use a rear exit door as the lobbies were then occupied by the Avenue Frame Shop. That, by the way, was a longtime business (gone now) that attracted many "customers" who ostensibly were interested in picture-framing but who were actually there as curiosity-seekers to see what they could of the vestibules and lobbies.

The marquee has been removed. I wasn't sure if that had been mentioned yet.

Archived versions of the theater's website can be found by searching for it at http://www.archive.org

Here is a 1985 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/c4tx3r

Does anyone have any information about who I can contact to gain access to the theater for some photographs? I'm a freelance photographer and I've been fascinated with this theater ever since my Father showed it to me when I was 10. (The lower level was a thrift store at that point.)

luridbeauty@gmail.com

I would happily schedule an appointment with the owner/tenants to capture the essence of this elegant piece of history; permission pending of course. Please let me know!

Thanks in advance,
Megan Kaye of Racine, Wisconsin

Too bad about what happened. It was clearly a beautiful theatre.