Granada Theatre
807 Commercial Street,
Emporia,
KS
66801
807 Commercial Street,
Emporia,
KS
66801
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing all 14 comments
According to the Granada Theatre website the theatre is open, showing movies, live performances and available for community activities.
2006 photo of the Granada Theatre courtesy Keith.
View link
Another photo of the Granada can be seen here.
The link to the Life magazine photo was originally found by a new member named “misterboo” I’m sure that “misterboo” would have been very happy to post the photo had he been given the opportunity to do so. Your thanks should go to “misterboo” for the photo.
Here is a 1942 photo from a new collection of Life Magazine images on Google:
http://tinyurl.com/5wh8uf
I’m surprised that this theaters website makes no mention of such a devasting fire.
This article from the Great Bend Daily Tribune is dated 1/1/59:
EMPORIA, Kan (AP) â€" Fire gutted the Granada Theater in downtown Emporia today about an hour after a late New Year’s Eve picture had ended. There was no one in the theater at the time. Firemen fought the blaze for more than an hour and a half before bringing it under control. Only the walls of the concrete and steel building remained intact. E.D. Dorrie, manager of the theater, said the inside of the building was a total loss. He did not estimate the damage in dollars.
The first alarm was sounded about 2 a.m,, some 40 minutes after the theater had been cleared of employees and patrons. Firemen prevented the flames from spreading to adjoining buildings. Cause of the fire was not known. It started near the stage and quickly spread throughout the building.
Granada website.
Granada photo.
Here is a website for the Granada Theater.
Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1985
Granada Theater (added 1985 – Building – #85000693)
Also known as Fox Theater
809 Commercial, Emporia
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Boller Brothers
Architectural Style: Other
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use
The Film Daily Yearbook;1941 edition gives a seating capacity of 1,340.
My wife and I visited the Granada this summer. There was still a tremendous amount of work to be accomplished on the Granada. Most of the interior was in rough condition when we visited. One could see the remnants of the Grananda’s past glory. It reminds us of the Poncan Theater in Ponca City, OK. We hope this theater rises again.
Here is a link to the Kansas Historic Theater Society and a short history on the Granada Theatre and a couple photos also.
http://www.khta.com/theatrepage.cfm?ID=13
Interesting link showing the intricate restoration work on this theater:
http://www.birch.net/~bthomas/gallery.html
Note: Puts the opening date as 1929.
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.