Art 1 & 2 Theatres

31 N. Washington Street,
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: W.S. Butterfield Theaters Inc.

Functions: Nightclub

Styles: Colonial Revival

Previous Names: Martha Washington Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Martha Washington/Art 1 & 2, Ypsilanti, Michigan, March 22, 2016

The Martha Washington Theatre was built in 1915 for Florence Wilson Signor. In a style befitting its name, the theatre was designed in a Colonial-Revival style, and sat between 1,000 and 1,700.

About 1920, the theatre was sold to Butterfield Theatres, which continued to operate the theatre until 1971. That year, the theatre’s new owners twinned the auditorium, and began screening adult fare under the name Art 1 & 2. The theater was still operating as an adult film house into the early-1990’s, when it finally closed.

Today it is home to the Deja Vu adult nightclub.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft, Gary Flinn

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

steelbeard1
steelbeard1 on November 17, 2003 at 9:25 am

Today it’s a Deja Vu adults only nightclub.

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on September 12, 2010 at 4:58 pm

The Art/M Washington is still there in all of its finite glory. Ypsilanti has some definite potential but lacks the cosmopolitan flavour of its neighbor Ann Arbor. Yet another pick (this one circa 2010) of the former theatre: flickr

mark edmunds
mark edmunds on April 30, 2011 at 5:37 pm

Has the inside been hacked up or are films still an option? Any intrerior pic’s

coreyfoto
coreyfoto on July 14, 2014 at 2:46 pm

Minor correction on the original owners/builders name. Should be Florence Wilson Signor, but not Singer. I know this since she was my great grandmother. It was quite a nice theater during the 50’s & 60’s. Had a lot of great childhood memories when it was the Martha Washington.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on November 8, 2021 at 8:08 am

This venue might be going out of existence. Story here: https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2021/11/ypsilanti-v-deja-vu-a-timeline-of-the-citys-dueling-legal-battles-with-downtown-strip-club.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mlivedotcom_sf&utm_source=facebook

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