Willard Theatre
340 E. 51st Street,
Chicago,
IL
60615
340 E. 51st Street,
Chicago,
IL
60615
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The March 1915 ad seems to get around.
Here is a March 1915 ad from the Suburbanite Economist:
http://tinyurl.com/m9lbyz
Fascinating find. That is a pretty big room. On casual glance I’d say there easily could have been over 1,000 seats in there at some point.
Here are photos of this theatre. As I said, the status of this theatre should be changed to closed, function as community center/church.
It opened in 1911. View link . It was renamed the New Park from about 1917-1926. It actually DOES still stand. Although the address maps to the NW Corner of Calumet and 51st, it is still there, actually at the NE Corner. It looks like the surrounding building has been reconstructed, but the theater stands. It was originally a Jones, Linick, Shaefer theater, and later Essaness.
Was this previously known as the New Park? Jazz Age Chicago has a New Park Theatre listed with 1000 seats as of 1923 at 342 E 51st.