The history is not correct. The 1899 map shows a small wooden storefront at this address. The October 1909 map shows the theater operating here, in a tin-fronted brick building. The old wooden building was 12 feet tall and was quite shallow. The new building was 18 feet tall, and ran all the way back to the alley. In addition, the business name is misspelled, it is Alpha & Omega, not Alfa-Omega.
The Crescent is the same as the Rose. I’d bet this was closed when the Crescent was built, which was perhaps 1916 or earlier. The hall west of the Gem might have been an opera house across the street, which is now the Ace Hardware. Several unnamed halls appear on other maps, all to the east of this building.
The history is wrong, and the photo of the Crescent added by dmt is this same theater. I found an old postcard showing the Crescent (with no name on the front) right where the Rose is today. I suspect the 1924 date is a name change, or just wrong. In fact, in the photo used here, with more vitrolite missing than when I saw it, it looks like the brick is the same design as the Crescent.
This reopened some time ago, looks like 2018. Sadly, the vitrolite facade was replaced with bland new paneling. They have a website, but their FB is a better source of information: https://www.facebook.com/rosemovietheater
Address would have been something like 209 Main St E. This was demolished long ago, along with the entire rest of the block. The building was constructed sometime before 1896, and was the post office on the 1909 map.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Oct 30, 2024 at 11:41 am
I agree that the opera house is not a good candidate.
Almost certainly on Garfield St. This has been demolished. Downtown is an ugly collection of metal sheds and empty lots. Was once two solid blocks of fine one and two story brick buildings.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Oct 30, 2024 at 4:53 am
Thanks for the information! I will add the opera house. I have a picture of that. It’s a little frustrating that there are no maps prior to 1916. The only other map is from 1930, and is not online.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Oct 29, 2024 at 7:08 am
There was also an opera house in a big three story Odd Fellows Hall on the corner of E Main and S Illinois. Only a tiny portion, one story tall, remains today. That could have been the Grand?
I think the Star might need its own listing. The 1919 map shows it as a very narrow one story building. It appears that it was on the north side of the site, and a 2-story pool room was on the south half. I expect both were demolished to allow the construction of the larger theater.
But you’re still confident that it was earlier the Bijou and likely the Star? This theater could definitely have been open up until the Earle killed it off, so it may also have been the Strand.
That does seem to be an awful lot of names for one place, especially when the Royal and Earle each had only one name change, and the Opera House may not have had any, unless one of these names was a later name for that.
That’s probably from about the first year they could have been showing movies, right? Sounds like they maybe had it set up on the floor or balcony, rather than in a booth.
The building on the left is the old Carroll Opera House, which showed movies from at least 1914-15 until it closed, likely in the late ‘20s after this opened.
This was located in a large commercial building constructed sometime between 1888 and 1893. The 1909 map shows a general store here. This entire block was destroyed in the demented urban renewal craze, and replaced by some incredibly depressing one story structures.
The ugly ‘new’ Carroll is not across the street, but at the other end of the block.
The address is wrong. This was at 104-106. That block no longer exists due to the destruction of urban ‘renewal’. It would have been under the eastern half of the appallingly ugly Bill Farmer Building.
It appears that the structure was a remodel of an armory constructed between 1909 and 1915, which was used as a store by 1923.
There are a few pictures of the Lyric here, which should be moved to that listing.
The history is not correct. The 1899 map shows a small wooden storefront at this address. The October 1909 map shows the theater operating here, in a tin-fronted brick building. The old wooden building was 12 feet tall and was quite shallow. The new building was 18 feet tall, and ran all the way back to the alley. In addition, the business name is misspelled, it is Alpha & Omega, not Alfa-Omega.
This theater was located in the same building that later held the Harlan. The address should be 621 Court St. The 1909 map shows an office here.
dmt says the picture is from 1916, and the postcard I found looks quite old. All I can say for sure is that it was built after 1913.
The Crescent is the same as the Rose. I’d bet this was closed when the Crescent was built, which was perhaps 1916 or earlier. The hall west of the Gem might have been an opera house across the street, which is now the Ace Hardware. Several unnamed halls appear on other maps, all to the east of this building.
The history is wrong, and the photo of the Crescent added by dmt is this same theater. I found an old postcard showing the Crescent (with no name on the front) right where the Rose is today. I suspect the 1924 date is a name change, or just wrong. In fact, in the photo used here, with more vitrolite missing than when I saw it, it looks like the brick is the same design as the Crescent.
Are you saying this was the original structure?
This reopened some time ago, looks like 2018. Sadly, the vitrolite facade was replaced with bland new paneling. They have a website, but their FB is a better source of information: https://www.facebook.com/rosemovietheater
Thanks for the ID!
I’ll add the Motz, which looks much better than when I saw it in 2010.
Address would have been something like 209 Main St E. This was demolished long ago, along with the entire rest of the block. The building was constructed sometime before 1896, and was the post office on the 1909 map.
I agree that the opera house is not a good candidate.
Almost certainly on Garfield St. This has been demolished. Downtown is an ugly collection of metal sheds and empty lots. Was once two solid blocks of fine one and two story brick buildings.
Thanks for the information! I will add the opera house. I have a picture of that. It’s a little frustrating that there are no maps prior to 1916. The only other map is from 1930, and is not online.
There was also an opera house in a big three story Odd Fellows Hall on the corner of E Main and S Illinois. Only a tiny portion, one story tall, remains today. That could have been the Grand?
I think the Star might need its own listing. The 1919 map shows it as a very narrow one story building. It appears that it was on the north side of the site, and a 2-story pool room was on the south half. I expect both were demolished to allow the construction of the larger theater.
But you’re still confident that it was earlier the Bijou and likely the Star? This theater could definitely have been open up until the Earle killed it off, so it may also have been the Strand.
That does seem to be an awful lot of names for one place, especially when the Royal and Earle each had only one name change, and the Opera House may not have had any, unless one of these names was a later name for that.
That’s probably from about the first year they could have been showing movies, right? Sounds like they maybe had it set up on the floor or balcony, rather than in a booth.
The building on the left is the old Carroll Opera House, which showed movies from at least 1914-15 until it closed, likely in the late ‘20s after this opened.
Chuck strikes again.
Thanks for the ID, and for confirming the Opera House, I’ll add that.
Better website: https://www.fridleytheatres.com/movie-theater/carroll-carroll5/
This was located in a large commercial building constructed sometime between 1888 and 1893. The 1909 map shows a general store here. This entire block was destroyed in the demented urban renewal craze, and replaced by some incredibly depressing one story structures.
The ugly ‘new’ Carroll is not across the street, but at the other end of the block.
The address is wrong. This was at 104-106. That block no longer exists due to the destruction of urban ‘renewal’. It would have been under the eastern half of the appallingly ugly Bill Farmer Building.
It appears that the structure was a remodel of an armory constructed between 1909 and 1915, which was used as a store by 1923.
By the way, if you can find a movie date at the Germania from 1908 or before, I will create a listing for the first location.