Ritz Theatre
814 E. Main Street,
Richmond,
IN
47375
814 E. Main Street,
Richmond,
IN
47375
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The Ritz Theatre appears on the 1937-1950 update to the 1909 Sanborn. It had opened on November 25, 1928 with Thomas Meighan in “Tin Gods”. It had replaced two very old stores shown on the 1909 map.
The theatre was a large two story brick building. Deep and generously sized storefronts flanked an entry hallway. A curious feature of the entry was that it made a distinct rounded bulge just off the street. An addition on the front section, likely for a staircase, blocked off the alley that had existed to the east, although the auditorium maintained the rear section, probably as a fire exit.
There was a narrow transverse lobby with several doors for entry into the auditorium. The Ritz Theatre was closed in 1960 and it was repurposed as a drug store.
While the structure still exists, the front has suffered a bland dryvit remodel. The building is home to a community development organization, and some of the auditorium may still survive in the conference and event spaces they maintain.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
This was the Ritz Theater. In 1960, it closed and the building was renovated (essentially gutted) and became Osco Drugs.
Another tidbit… the Ritz opened on Thanksgiving Day, November 25th, 1926. The movie shown for the Grand Opening was Tin Gods starring Thomas Meighan.