That address is wrong. The addresses are a complete mess, and the street name may actually change at that intersection. The building to the north claims to be 41, and there is a definite number 6 two blocks north. None of the intersections have signs with street names, and odds and evens seem to jump from one side of the street to the other.
This must have been the Lyric. Not sure where the Opera House was. There is no theater on the 1935 map. There is a ‘hall’ in the second floor of the building at the NW corner of Maple and Noyes, but that building says ’T. Wallis - 1916' on the top, and I believe it was built as a hotel. It’s still the best choice, I think.
Thanks for finding that information! It looks like the theater had re-closed by 1926, since it’s not in that yearbook. That just leaves the Iowa to list, if we can figure out where it was.
The correct current capacity is not 259, that’s what it was in 1913, when this was only on the ground floor. It was listed as 480 in 1956. I assume it expanded to two floors and was given the Mission remodel in 1924, when it became the Rialto. It’s possible it opened under some other name, and became the Palm in 1911. Hopefully someone will have more information.
Calling this demolished is very misleading. The entire structure is still there, although it’s possible it’s been gutted. Still vacant on the 2025 streetview.
The address is wrong. It should be 1315, and the zip code is 00907.
This was either an expansion or replacement of the old Majestic. Can anyone supply information? If the Majestic (which was only one story) was demolished, we should create a listing for that.
In 1929, both the Majestic and Rialto were operated by the Hostettler Amusement Co., which also operated the Casino, Odeon, and Strand in Marshalltown.
The Majestic was either replaced by or extensively remodeled into the Valley. However, this does not match any of the photos of the Majestic (which had a curved arch entry early on, replaced by a flat glass canopy later), and may actually show the Palm. The small portions shown of the neighboring buildings are a better match for the Palm/Rialto.
Any pictures of a one story building are of the Majestic, which seems to have become/been replaced by the Valley. They should be removed from this listing.
The opening date is incorrect. This building is shown as a theater on the Sept. 1908 map. The original structure was built between 1886 and 1890, as a store. The 1913 map shows it as a ground floor theater, with a hall above. The capacity is listed as 259.
Added a photo I took years ago. The building appeared to be derelict in 2010, and it looks basically the same on the 2024 streetview, although there is a dumpster in front of the door, so someone may be clearing out the junk.
The 1926 Yearbook lists only a New with 500 seats. I’m thinking this has to have been the New. The New name also makes sense because this replaced a large wooden building which was being used as an opera house in 1906. I have found one of the other theaters, but I’m not sure which. I’ll create a listing.
I found some old photos I took in Keota, and at the beginning of 2010 this part of the block was all churned up dirt, indicating that the buildings were recently demolished. I may even have a shot of the rear wall of the theater, but it’s impossible to tell where exactly I was.
The 1914-15 AMPD lists only the Iowa, Grand, and New for West Liberty, so this must have had a different name at that point. Grand is the most obvious choice, since this is a large building.
On the 1912 map, the Knights of Pythias are still shown in the old opera house (NW corner of Calhoun & 3rd). The second floor of this building is just a ‘Hall’. They must have moved in later.
I’ve added a photo I took in 2010. It seems likely the theater was only on one side, but I can’t say which. Unusually, the stoop for the entry to the stairs on the left side has the name Klockenteger carved into it.
No such thing as W 8th. The building is at 257 8th Ave SE. No maps are available, but the building does appear on an early postcard said to be from 1910. The photo studio/framing business closed sometime after 2013, and the ground floor is vacant. 50s has supplied a much better chronology of names than the ‘contributor’.
Still listed in 1956 with 225 seats. The address would have been something like 117 E Broadway. This entire block was demolished years ago for a cheap drive-through bank.
Must be the same place. Obviously it reopened, perhaps sometime after the war. From that brief history, it does not seem like the initial use was as a cinema.
I am positive the address is wrong. The picture that shows the theater closer up is looking at the back of the building at 201 E Main. Downtown is so ugly, and nearly everything in both pictures has been torn down, but I think the address is somewhere around 239-243 E Main.
I don’t see a blacksmith on the May 1910 map. ‘Downtown’ is tiny, and the area where the theater was is vacant. I suspect it was just a little wooden shack if it existed at all.
That address is wrong. The addresses are a complete mess, and the street name may actually change at that intersection. The building to the north claims to be 41, and there is a definite number 6 two blocks north. None of the intersections have signs with street names, and odds and evens seem to jump from one side of the street to the other.
This must have been the Lyric. Not sure where the Opera House was. There is no theater on the 1935 map. There is a ‘hall’ in the second floor of the building at the NW corner of Maple and Noyes, but that building says ’T. Wallis - 1916' on the top, and I believe it was built as a hotel. It’s still the best choice, I think.
Thanks for finding that information! It looks like the theater had re-closed by 1926, since it’s not in that yearbook. That just leaves the Iowa to list, if we can figure out where it was.
The correct current capacity is not 259, that’s what it was in 1913, when this was only on the ground floor. It was listed as 480 in 1956. I assume it expanded to two floors and was given the Mission remodel in 1924, when it became the Rialto. It’s possible it opened under some other name, and became the Palm in 1911. Hopefully someone will have more information.
Calling this demolished is very misleading. The entire structure is still there, although it’s possible it’s been gutted. Still vacant on the 2025 streetview.
The address is wrong. It should be 1315, and the zip code is 00907.
This was either an expansion or replacement of the old Majestic. Can anyone supply information? If the Majestic (which was only one story) was demolished, we should create a listing for that.
In 1929, both the Majestic and Rialto were operated by the Hostettler Amusement Co., which also operated the Casino, Odeon, and Strand in Marshalltown.
The Majestic was either replaced by or extensively remodeled into the Valley. However, this does not match any of the photos of the Majestic (which had a curved arch entry early on, replaced by a flat glass canopy later), and may actually show the Palm. The small portions shown of the neighboring buildings are a better match for the Palm/Rialto.
Since the accompanying photo is of the wrong building, it’s dubious this is actually the Palm.
This appears to be the Majestic. There was never a one story building here.
This photo is under the wrong listing, and very poor quality. This is the Majestic, across the street.
This photo is under the wrong listing, and very poor quality. This is the Majestic, across the street.
Any pictures of a one story building are of the Majestic, which seems to have become/been replaced by the Valley. They should be removed from this listing.
The opening date is incorrect. This building is shown as a theater on the Sept. 1908 map. The original structure was built between 1886 and 1890, as a store. The 1913 map shows it as a ground floor theater, with a hall above. The capacity is listed as 259.
By the way, there’s a typo. I don’t even think the NRHP existed in 1950. It was added in 1990.
I wonder if the expansion on the north side also dates from 1959?
Added a photo I took years ago. The building appeared to be derelict in 2010, and it looks basically the same on the 2024 streetview, although there is a dumpster in front of the door, so someone may be clearing out the junk.
The 1926 Yearbook lists only a New with 500 seats. I’m thinking this has to have been the New. The New name also makes sense because this replaced a large wooden building which was being used as an opera house in 1906. I have found one of the other theaters, but I’m not sure which. I’ll create a listing.
I found some old photos I took in Keota, and at the beginning of 2010 this part of the block was all churned up dirt, indicating that the buildings were recently demolished. I may even have a shot of the rear wall of the theater, but it’s impossible to tell where exactly I was.
The 1914-15 AMPD lists only the Iowa, Grand, and New for West Liberty, so this must have had a different name at that point. Grand is the most obvious choice, since this is a large building.
On the 1912 map, the Knights of Pythias are still shown in the old opera house (NW corner of Calhoun & 3rd). The second floor of this building is just a ‘Hall’. They must have moved in later.
I’ve added a photo I took in 2010. It seems likely the theater was only on one side, but I can’t say which. Unusually, the stoop for the entry to the stairs on the left side has the name Klockenteger carved into it.
No such thing as W 8th. The building is at 257 8th Ave SE. No maps are available, but the building does appear on an early postcard said to be from 1910. The photo studio/framing business closed sometime after 2013, and the ground floor is vacant. 50s has supplied a much better chronology of names than the ‘contributor’.
Still listed in 1956 with 225 seats. The address would have been something like 117 E Broadway. This entire block was demolished years ago for a cheap drive-through bank.
Must be the same place. Obviously it reopened, perhaps sometime after the war. From that brief history, it does not seem like the initial use was as a cinema.
I am positive the address is wrong. The picture that shows the theater closer up is looking at the back of the building at 201 E Main. Downtown is so ugly, and nearly everything in both pictures has been torn down, but I think the address is somewhere around 239-243 E Main.
I don’t see a blacksmith on the May 1910 map. ‘Downtown’ is tiny, and the area where the theater was is vacant. I suspect it was just a little wooden shack if it existed at all.
The building is in good shape. For whatever stupid reason, I did not take a picture of this or the Burg. It is a knitting/quilting shop.