This is strange. I can post this LAPL link in my browser, and it works fine. If I post it here, and hit preview, I get the same message about it being forbidden. I guess that’s it for the LAPL photos. http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014126.jpg
No, the Barclay is the hotel on the northwest corner of 4th and Main. The Hippodrome was on the other side of Main, about halfway down the block going north. The new condo complex is taking over the Westiminster site and part of the old Hippodrome site. When they were breaking up the concrete for the condos, some old theater tiles were uncovered in the process.
This is from Columbia city council minutes on 11/8/06:
MAP AMENDMENT / TEXT AMENDMENT â€" FIRST READING
B. 1605-07 Main Street, TMS# 09014-10-15; rezone from C-5 to C-5, -DP. â€" Approved on
first reading.
No one appeared in support of or in opposition to the request.
Upon motion by Mayor Coble, seconded by Ms. Sinclair, Council voted unanimously to give first
reading approval to the Map Amendment for 1605-07 Main Street, TMS# 09014-10-15; rezone
from C-5 to C-5, -DP
C. 2626 Stratford Road, TMS# 11415-03-01; rezone from RS-1 to RS-1, -DP. â€" Approved
on first reading.
It seems like most of the photos were taken in the late 2006 and through the first six months of 2007, going by the titles on the marquees in the theater pictures, but it’s hard to be any more specific than that. Chuck said the building has been bought by the Columbia Film Society, but the retail business may still be there.
This document, which is lengthy, concerns the “Four Minute Men”, which was a group of WWI-related speakers in 1919. If you scroll down about halfway, there is a list of supporting theaters in Chicago, including addresses. The Columbus is on the list. It’s an interesting roster if you’re looking for any theaters around that time. http://tinyurl.com/awpdpp
Here is part of a 12/11/50 article in the Alton Evening Telegraph:
Fire that charred the interior of the Uptown Theater, Upper Alton, early Sunday morning caused a loss estimated at $30,000 by Fire Chief Lewis, who said the cause of the blaze has not been determined. The blaze started in the stage area and ate through the roof in the mid-section, meanwhile causing a terrific heat that charred the walls.
Police placed barricades to stop traffic in the block between College and Edwards street on Washington Avenue. Overall value of the Uptown building, the chief estimated, was $40,000, including all the seats and the stage with an additional $2800 value on the lobby and projection room. Heat and smoke caused what damage there was to projection equipment, which was not affected directly by fire and water.
Joseph Goldfarb, owner of the theater, told a reporter Sunday afternoon that he was called by the police sometime between 6 and 6:30 a.m. He said he would be unable to estimate the damage until
the Insurance adjuster had checked the loss.
It looks like a bank has been built on the theater’s former location at at the intersection of Palestine and Corsicana streets, thus it appears that status is closed/demolished.
Here is an article dated 9/20/53 from the Big Spring Daily Herald:
ATHENS, Tex., Sept. 19-A theater filled with a Saturday afternoon crowd of children caught fire today and burned to the ground after all the youngsters had fled to safety. Six of the children were hurt, mostly in the tramping toward rear and front exits. One boy broke his leg jumping from the balcony. Sheriff Jess Sweeten said fire broke out in the 900-seat Dixie Theater about 2:30 p.m. The brick one-story structure was quickly evacuated.
Frantic parents clamoring at the entrance in fear their children had not escaped interfered with the work of local firemen, who had the help of fire departments from Malakoff, Canton and Tyler. Flames flared 75 feet high at the height of the fire and threatened adjacent buildings on the east side of the square, including the Palace Drug, Penney Dry Goods and Perkins Bros. Dry Goods stores. The adjacent structures were wet down while firemen sought to extinguish the theater blaze.
At about 6 p.m. the fire burned itself out, having almost completely leveled the theater. The sheriff said, “We almost had a riot in front of the theater with those parents screaming and hollering. It was a powerful lot of excitement.” The fact some of the children fled through a rear exit apparently gave rise to some parents' fear their children still were inside the blazing theater. The sheriff said none of the six children was critically hurt.
Here is part of an article from the Victoria Advocate dated 9/20/75:
The colorful 35-year history of El Rancho Theater came to a blazing end Friday morning two days after bringing to its giant screen the story of mobster Al Capone, “the man who made the Twenties roar.“ Water-soaked reels of the movie, billed as the true story of Capone, were sadly placed on the sidewalk across the street from the theater Friday afternoon as fire investigators sifted through the rubble attempting to find the cause of the fire.
At the same time, J. C. Long of Bay City, owner of the theater, estimated the loss of the building, which was completely gutted by the blaze, at “half a million dollars.” Another official of the widespread Long Theaters chain, Harry Worth, also of Bay City, said equipment and the 1,100 seats in the theater alone were valued al $150,000. Long arrived Friday afternoon to inspect the ruins with Worth and Hayden Curliss, manager of the theater for 12 years, and an employee of the Long chain since 1928. Long made no immediate decision as what he will do with the building.
Tomasita, downtown Victoria’s favorite cat, is alive and well although the place she liked best was destroyed by fire Friday morning. She appeared somewhat bewildered Friday, heading toward the old bandstand in DeLeon Plaza to escape the attention of the crowd that gathered to watch firemen battle the blaze.
Here is an article dated 5/21/48 from the Amarillo Daily News:
Monte Hale, the western movie star, will make a personal appearance both this afternoon and tonight on the stage of the Liberty Theater in Shamrock. The western singing star will appear at the Shamrock theater in connection with the showing of his latest picture, “Under Colorado Skies.”
Siebert Worley, Liberty Theater manager, said he is planning a big program with Monte, his picture and another feature “Arkansas Judge” with the Weaver Boys and Elviry of National Barn Dance fame. After the show tonight, Monte is scheduled to be in Dumas for the final day of the Dumas Dogie Days. He will appear at the Evelyn Theater in Dumas, besides taking part in the parade.
It looks like she only lived to the age of 31, but her husband died at the age of 102 in 1990. Quite a disparity.
This is from the Cullman (AL) Banner, dated 3/14/46:
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hury and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Griffin will attend
the opening of the Melba Theater in Birmingham Thursday (today).
I was hoping that one of the doors would be open, but it was sealed tight. Have you ever been inside of the building?
November 2005 obit:
http://tinyurl.com/bw2fw6
This is strange. I can post this LAPL link in my browser, and it works fine. If I post it here, and hit preview, I get the same message about it being forbidden. I guess that’s it for the LAPL photos.
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics09/00014126.jpg
No, the Barclay is the hotel on the northwest corner of 4th and Main. The Hippodrome was on the other side of Main, about halfway down the block going north. The new condo complex is taking over the Westiminster site and part of the old Hippodrome site. When they were breaking up the concrete for the condos, some old theater tiles were uncovered in the process.
I agree-sidestepping all that gets me pooped out.
Here are some photos taken today:
http://tinyurl.com/avx54g
http://tinyurl.com/asxmdp
http://tinyurl.com/cmos75
http://tinyurl.com/brmepv
http://tinyurl.com/bhrroo
I thought they were installing a new sign because the old one had a lot of rust holes. Maybe they just sandblasted it.
Gentrification at 4th & Main-new sign for the Barclay, condos going up on former Westminster site:
http://tinyurl.com/b7hglq
http://tinyurl.com/bk49mw
This is from Columbia city council minutes on 11/8/06:
MAP AMENDMENT / TEXT AMENDMENT â€" FIRST READING
B. 1605-07 Main Street, TMS# 09014-10-15; rezone from C-5 to C-5, -DP. â€" Approved on
first reading.
No one appeared in support of or in opposition to the request.
Upon motion by Mayor Coble, seconded by Ms. Sinclair, Council voted unanimously to give first
reading approval to the Map Amendment for 1605-07 Main Street, TMS# 09014-10-15; rezone
from C-5 to C-5, -DP
C. 2626 Stratford Road, TMS# 11415-03-01; rezone from RS-1 to RS-1, -DP. â€" Approved
on first reading.
Ordinance No.: 2006-077 â€" Amending the 1998 Code of Ordinances of the City of
Columbia, South Carolina, Chapter 17, Planning, Land Development and Zoning, Article
V, Historic Preservation and Architectural Review, Division 4, Landmarks, Sec. 17-691,
Buildings and site list, © is amended to add the following: 2627 Stratford Road and
1607 Main Street â€" Approved on first reading.
No one appeared in support of or in opposition to the request.
It seems like most of the photos were taken in the late 2006 and through the first six months of 2007, going by the titles on the marquees in the theater pictures, but it’s hard to be any more specific than that. Chuck said the building has been bought by the Columbia Film Society, but the retail business may still be there.
When the Googlemobile drove by the retail business was folding, “going out of business” signs on the windows.
Kind of depressing that the view of the Midvalley as a “featured theater” is a photo of it being demolished.
That’s an old picture as well.
Building is for sale on loopnet:
http://tinyurl.com/clsbl5
This document, which is lengthy, concerns the “Four Minute Men”, which was a group of WWI-related speakers in 1919. If you scroll down about halfway, there is a list of supporting theaters in Chicago, including addresses. The Columbus is on the list. It’s an interesting roster if you’re looking for any theaters around that time.
http://tinyurl.com/awpdpp
Here is part of a 12/11/50 article in the Alton Evening Telegraph:
Fire that charred the interior of the Uptown Theater, Upper Alton, early Sunday morning caused a loss estimated at $30,000 by Fire Chief Lewis, who said the cause of the blaze has not been determined. The blaze started in the stage area and ate through the roof in the mid-section, meanwhile causing a terrific heat that charred the walls.
Police placed barricades to stop traffic in the block between College and Edwards street on Washington Avenue. Overall value of the Uptown building, the chief estimated, was $40,000, including all the seats and the stage with an additional $2800 value on the lobby and projection room. Heat and smoke caused what damage there was to projection equipment, which was not affected directly by fire and water.
Joseph Goldfarb, owner of the theater, told a reporter Sunday afternoon that he was called by the police sometime between 6 and 6:30 a.m. He said he would be unable to estimate the damage until
the Insurance adjuster had checked the loss.
It looks like a bank has been built on the theater’s former location at at the intersection of Palestine and Corsicana streets, thus it appears that status is closed/demolished.
Here is an article dated 9/20/53 from the Big Spring Daily Herald:
ATHENS, Tex., Sept. 19-A theater filled with a Saturday afternoon crowd of children caught fire today and burned to the ground after all the youngsters had fled to safety. Six of the children were hurt, mostly in the tramping toward rear and front exits. One boy broke his leg jumping from the balcony. Sheriff Jess Sweeten said fire broke out in the 900-seat Dixie Theater about 2:30 p.m. The brick one-story structure was quickly evacuated.
Frantic parents clamoring at the entrance in fear their children had not escaped interfered with the work of local firemen, who had the help of fire departments from Malakoff, Canton and Tyler. Flames flared 75 feet high at the height of the fire and threatened adjacent buildings on the east side of the square, including the Palace Drug, Penney Dry Goods and Perkins Bros. Dry Goods stores. The adjacent structures were wet down while firemen sought to extinguish the theater blaze.
At about 6 p.m. the fire burned itself out, having almost completely leveled the theater. The sheriff said, “We almost had a riot in front of the theater with those parents screaming and hollering. It was a powerful lot of excitement.” The fact some of the children fled through a rear exit apparently gave rise to some parents' fear their children still were inside the blazing theater. The sheriff said none of the six children was critically hurt.
Here is part of an article from the Victoria Advocate dated 9/20/75:
The colorful 35-year history of El Rancho Theater came to a blazing end Friday morning two days after bringing to its giant screen the story of mobster Al Capone, “the man who made the Twenties roar.“ Water-soaked reels of the movie, billed as the true story of Capone, were sadly placed on the sidewalk across the street from the theater Friday afternoon as fire investigators sifted through the rubble attempting to find the cause of the fire.
At the same time, J. C. Long of Bay City, owner of the theater, estimated the loss of the building, which was completely gutted by the blaze, at “half a million dollars.” Another official of the widespread Long Theaters chain, Harry Worth, also of Bay City, said equipment and the 1,100 seats in the theater alone were valued al $150,000. Long arrived Friday afternoon to inspect the ruins with Worth and Hayden Curliss, manager of the theater for 12 years, and an employee of the Long chain since 1928. Long made no immediate decision as what he will do with the building.
Tomasita, downtown Victoria’s favorite cat, is alive and well although the place she liked best was destroyed by fire Friday morning. She appeared somewhat bewildered Friday, heading toward the old bandstand in DeLeon Plaza to escape the attention of the crowd that gathered to watch firemen battle the blaze.
Here is an article dated 5/21/48 from the Amarillo Daily News:
Monte Hale, the western movie star, will make a personal appearance both this afternoon and tonight on the stage of the Liberty Theater in Shamrock. The western singing star will appear at the Shamrock theater in connection with the showing of his latest picture, “Under Colorado Skies.”
Siebert Worley, Liberty Theater manager, said he is planning a big program with Monte, his picture and another feature “Arkansas Judge” with the Weaver Boys and Elviry of National Barn Dance fame. After the show tonight, Monte is scheduled to be in Dumas for the final day of the Dumas Dogie Days. He will appear at the Evelyn Theater in Dumas, besides taking part in the parade.
Here is a recent article about the sale of the Starlite and Fox 5 theaters:
http://tinyurl.com/bx4h2x
Here is a recent story from the Indianapolis Star:
http://tinyurl.com/ctk6p6
If you enter www.alamotheatre.org you get this site http://www.oldfilm.org/ which as karan pointed out in 2006 owns the theater.