Harding Theatre
2724 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60647
2724 N. Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60647
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The Harding Theatre was one of the largest of the theaters of the Logan Square neighborhood, originally seating just under 3000. It was the sister theater of the Congress Theatre, also in Logan Square, and the Tower Theatre in Woodlawn.
The Harding, located on Milwaukee Avenue between Spaulding and Sawyer Avenues, was originally built for the Lubliner & Trinz circuit in 1925, but within a few years was acquired by Balaban & Katz. The Harding had a 3/18 Wurlitzer organ. The Harding Theatre was closed in 1963 and demolished a year later.
Contributed by
Ray Martinez
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Recent comments (view all 18 comments)
Correction to Kenny comment above… feb 6 2005.
If you look at Brians link of the photo of the Harding construction, you’ll see the Harding stood where the Grocery now sits.
The stores just to the left of the Harding were gutted after demolition to allow auto access to the rear parking area where the main auditorium was.
To the right of the picture, a used car lot is where the Walgreens building was located.
I believe it was originally a Grocerland Chain and now its a Mexican grocery store
To Brian Krefft, You made notice of the Tower theater, a sister of The Congress and The Harding. Where was The Tower located?
Kenny, the Tower Theatre was in the Woodlawn neighborhood on 63rd Street and Blackstone Avenue, near Jackson Park.
My grandfather owned the icecream shop next to the Harding Theater.
It was originally called “Pellegrini’s”…Daniel, did your family go
there in the early 40’s? My mom used to go there before my dad
and her got married. He worked for his father there “soda jerk"
is what they would call the kids that worked in high school.
I am looking for pictures of the restaurant….it’s sorta hard,
since everyone has passed except mom. She has some beautiful
stories to tell about that era….the theaters were so
reasonable….and it was the thing to do after a date…go and
eat. did anyone else remember going there?
My father owned a print shop at 2628 N. Milwaukee from 1947-1954. I was an unruly child, so my parents couldn’t get a babysitter. Since my mother helped at my dad’s shop on Monday and Thursday evenings, and all day on Saturday, they took my brother and I to work with them. My brother and I would often go to the Harding Theatre at 2724 N. Milwaukee. Also, very often to the Logan Theatre (still operating), on the same block as his shop. One of the biggest thrills I had going to the Harding, was to see HOUSE OF WAX in 3D. When Roy Roberts threw a chair at the beginning during the fire scene, I remember turning around. It sounded like it crashed in back of the auditorium. HOUSE OF WAX was also in stereo sound. These were really great times. I lived in the Humboldt Park area, and quite often would go to the Crystal and Queen Theatres on North Avenue. The Crystal closed in 1965, and the Queen closed in 1952.
John Cordell
Hi, I’m an officer with Logan Square Preservation. I was doing research on the Harding because the site is up for redevelopment. I noticed quite a few people posting here were former residents of the neighborhood and wondered if any of you had historic photos of the area, especially the Harding Theater, surrounding buildings, Milwaukee Ave., Logan Square itself or the boulevards. Our organization would pay or high-quality copies. Please contact me if you have a moment, and thanks.
The stores the belonged to the Harding Theatre and the building are still standing except for the auditorium, and the lobby.
Vintage photograph of the Harding’s projection room in 1928 showing it’s bank of Motiograph projectors http://flic.kr/p/9GmG8u
there’re 2 fine 8x10 B&W HARDING THEATRE photos i stumbled across over the Memorial Day wknd thanks to my wife Claire’s help, in the files of the so-called Chicago History Museum, or as anyone with a proper sense of history would say Chicago Historical Society (history per se does not get remodeled). One image’s from 1961, the other just prior to demolition in 1963, both from out in front of the bldg on Milwaukee Ave showing the full vertical sign & marquee. The 1961 shows marquee lettering advertising a food catering operation, which tells me even by that year films had ceased.
With any luck and proper overtures too at least one of those images will lead-off this CT Theatre listing before long