Temple Theatre
116 S. Main Street,
Viroqua,
WI
54665
116 S. Main Street,
Viroqua,
WI
54665
1 person
favorited this theater
As part of the restoration of the Temple Theater, the old movie palace has begun the slow reconstruction of its original Wurlitzer organ. Built in 1922, the organ played along with the theater’s silent films and continued to be used in the old theater until 1938 when it was sold to the Coon Valley Lutheran Church.
When the restoration of the theater began in 1994, members of the Associates to Restore the Temple Theater retrieved the organ and brought it back to the Temple. Organ enthusiasts began to restore the organ earlier this year, taking it apart in anticipation of repairing and restoring the classic piece. The group are also members of the La Crosse Scenic Bluffs Chapter of the American Theater Organ Society.
The theater today is now open.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
The web site for this theatre can be found at:
http://www.temple-theatre.com/index.htm
The address for the Temple Theatre is 116 South Main Street, Viroqua, Wi.
Nice expandable photos at this link:
View link
The architects were Parkinson and Dockendorff and it reopened in 2002.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Masonic Temple Building (added 2000 – Building – #00001469)
116 S. Main St., Viroquoa
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Parkinson, A.E.,, Dockendorff, Bernard, et al.
Architectural Style: Classical Revival
Area of Significance: Social History, Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture, Social
Historic Sub-function: Meeting Hall, Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture, Social
Current Sub-function: Meeting Hall, Theater
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 539 style 135A was installed in the Temple Theater on 4/26/1922.
Function should be changed to live performances.
This was also known as the Fortney Theatre. Here is a 1981 photo.