Paramount Theatre
125 Fourth Avenue NE,
Austin,
MN
55912
125 Fourth Avenue NE,
Austin,
MN
55912
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From the 1920s a photo postcard view of the Paramount Theatre in Austin.
The name of the architectural firm is currently misspelled above (and on the pages for the other two theaters designed by Ellerbe & Company.) It should be Ellerbe, ending with one e. The company was founded in 1909 by Franklin Ellerbe and, upon his death in 1921, was taken over by his son Thomas F. Ellerbe who, as lead architect, expanded the firm into the largest in Minnesota.
Thomas Ellerbe was an avid supporter of co-ops and eventually converted his firm into an employee-owned organization, which it remained until merging with Welton Becket and Associates (designers of Pacific’s Cinerama Dome in Hollywood) in 1987. The successor firm, Ellerbe-Becket, remains in operation today.
The Paramount Theatre at Austin was originally planned for the Finkelstein & Ruben circuit, which was taken over by Paramount before construction was completed, and the house opened as the Paramount under the Publix banner in September, 1929.
Here is another photo of the Paramount.
1981 photo of the Paramount Theatre,
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Warren you photo bucket photo doesn’t come up with a photo it says it doesn’t exist.
Warren’s photo bucket link is no longer functional.
1987photo of the Paramount Theatre at that time called Snickerz a concert venue.
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This is an August photo taken by a different photographer.
A July 2008 photo can be seen here.
This is a recent photo of the Paramount Theater.
Here is an exterior photo of the Paramount Theater.
This 2002 photo shows the atmospheric auditorium in the process of restoration: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/austinpara.jpg
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986
Paramount Theater (added 1986 – Building – #86002906)
Also known as The Theater Night Club
125 Fourth Ave. NE, Austin
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Ellerbe & Co.
Architectural Style: Other, Colonial Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Restaurant
This 1966 article from the Austin Daily Herald gives an interesting recap of theaters in the city:
In 1910, Sunday movies became legal, and the first real “chain” theater management was born with the establishment of the Unique Theater in the old Woolworth building on Main St. South. American Amusement Co., the Minneapolis owners of the Unique, also purchased the Idle Hour, changed the name to the Princess, and opened the Lyric Theater (later known as the State) on Water St.
The Princess burned down between 1911 and 1915, and the chain owners sold out to F. F. Latta, who operated the Lyric and the Unique, and renamed the latter the Cozy. From 1915 to 1921, Vic Phelps opened the Majestic on the old Piggly Wiggly site; the Park on Water St. was destroyed by the tornado in l928 and was replaced by the Paramount; the Rayman brothers opened the Star on Main St.; the Eagle opened on the East Side; and the Austin became the final Main St. movie theater.
Alan Ladd hadn’t ridden across the screen at the 50-year old State Theater for about four years when it lost its other-era face this summer to the glassed front Goodwill Industries. Austin’s two newest theaters are the Outdoor (1948) and the Sterling (1951).
We are high school students from Owatonna, Minnesota and we are doing an independent study project with one of our teachers, Mr. Metzler (you’ll notice that we are using his email, but correspondence will be to/from us). We are exploring the idea of re-opening a small movie theatre that is in the middle of our struggling downtown area.
After searching the web for theatres that had renovated to improve their downtown areas, we came across your website and are looking for any information or ideas that you might have for renovating our 1935 theatre. More specifically, we are looking at ideas for generating adequate funding, increasing community awareness and support, and the actual renovation of the theatre. Before/after pictures of renovations would also be appreciated.
Thanks for anything you can provide,
Tessa Wheelock
Emily Leuning
Sara Kramer
Michael A. Metzler
Owatonna High School
333 E. School Street
Owatonna, MN 55060
Phone: 507-444-8846
Web: View link