Ashland Theatre
1611 W. Madison Street,
Chicago,
IL
60612
1611 W. Madison Street,
Chicago,
IL
60612
1 person
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This Near West Side neighborhood theater, located on Madison Street near Ashland Avenue, close to Union Park (and a few blocks from the present-day location of the United Center), opened in 1914, and was operated as part of the Schoenstadt circuit for most of its existence (which wasn’t very long).
It appears to have been closed by the early 30s and has long since been demolished. A fast food restaurant is located on the site today.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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According to a January 4, 1914 article in the Chicago Tribune, The Ashland was nearing completion. Earlier articles documented controversy regarding building code violations. The Ashland Theater occupied a 50 x 125’ lot, had a seating capacity of 800. It cost about $75,000 to build. D. S Klafter was the architect. A feature of its balcony, which was claimed to not be found in any other theater in Chicago, is that a person sitting in the highest point in the highest point at the rear can see the front of the stage and one sitting in the rear on the main floor can see the top of the proscenium arch.
There is other information about and a 1914 photograph of this theater in the Chicago Tribune Archives database.
An Estey theater organ opus 2196 size 2/4 was installed in an Ashland Theater in Chicago in 1924. Note: Luminous Console. $4,968.00