The 1905 Cahn guide lists it as the ‘Butler Opera House’, managed by J.A. Trimble, and with a capacity of 1,000. Obviously, this is well before movies, but Fisk is not identified for sure as the owner until the 1914 map.
The Fisk and the opera house are the same building. It was constructed by 1885, and the 1914 map shows a capacity of 900. The auditorium occupied the second floor. By 1892, no businesses are listed on the ground floor. It’s likely the auditorium remained where it was, but the ground floor storefronts were replaced by a lobby. The balcony was very deep, with a curved front, and wings extending along the side. By 1914, the stage had been remodeled to a flat front. No mention is made on the 1914 map of movies being shown.
The description isn’t accurate. The Hotel Pennell, aka the Fraternal Inn, was constructed in 1906. It’s a C-shaped structure with the opening facing Ohio. The Courtney cannot have occupied the lobby since the grand staircase still exists.
The building is only three stories. There were lodge rooms for the Masons and Odd Fellows on the third floor, but as those were used until the ‘80s, they can’t have been the location of the theater. I suggest that the theater may have been in retail space on the ground floor. There is no marquee on the building. There may have been, but it was gone by 2010. Current usage is a hotel and restaurant.
There may be some apartments, and there is retail on the east side and the SE corner.
Must have been in the block across from the courthouse. There’s no really obvious theater there, but a few existing buildings might have been the location.
Picture of the Kellogg should be removed, it’s a totally different building. Not sure if it ever showed movies, it seems to have become a church pretty early on.
Obviously no-one was doing art deco in 1948. I’m not sure what I’d call the facade, and the auditorium was likely done in a budget streamline style. The website is dead, and they are now using FB: https://www.facebook.com/PleasantHillPlayersCommunityTheatre/
Looking closer at my photos, and some others, that is definitely an aluminum poster case on the left. Does not look pre-1940. I think this must have re-opened, perhaps under another name.
I added a picture from a blah winter day long ago. On the 1916 Sanborn map, this building houses a bookstore/stationers. It appears to be vacant on the ‘19 streetview.
I think the NRHP listing is in error. Those older surveys were often very poorly researched. The 1918 Sanborn shows the ground floor with a saloon on the east and west of the ground floor, a barber with billiard room behind it in the center, a hall on the second floor, and a bar room on the east side of the third floor. I think the theater opened at some point later. Current usage is offices. Listing needs to be corrected as to the location of the other theater.
Another that didn’t last long. By December 1909, it was a jeweler with a tailor in the rear half. This building is not demolished. It has an ugly modern fill to the storefront, and looks like some sort of office.
Address or description is wrong. 111 S Maple would have been in the middle of the block, south of 1st. There is indeed a vacant lot south of 107, which might have been where the theater was. The 1920 Sanborn shows a bunch of small wooden shops there, but of course they might have been demolished to be replaced by a theater.
Is it possible that the older Royal mentioned by Joe was the opera house? That building was at 105 W Newton. The current structure is either a remodel or a replacement.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Aug 6, 2019 at 6:53 am
This may have been named the Girard. There may also have been a Grand in town, although this may be another name for the opera house, which I already submitted.
If the identification as the Rex is indeed correct, it also presented stage acts. A 1912 issue of ‘The Player’ lists it among ‘Houses which Book Independently’. It was then managed by a Mr. McNamara. The section containing the stage did protrude beyond the east side of the building, so perhaps this contained dressing rooms.
The 1905 Cahn guide lists it as the ‘Butler Opera House’, managed by J.A. Trimble, and with a capacity of 1,000. Obviously, this is well before movies, but Fisk is not identified for sure as the owner until the 1914 map.
The Fisk and the opera house are the same building. It was constructed by 1885, and the 1914 map shows a capacity of 900. The auditorium occupied the second floor. By 1892, no businesses are listed on the ground floor. It’s likely the auditorium remained where it was, but the ground floor storefronts were replaced by a lobby. The balcony was very deep, with a curved front, and wings extending along the side. By 1914, the stage had been remodeled to a flat front. No mention is made on the 1914 map of movies being shown.
The description isn’t accurate. The Hotel Pennell, aka the Fraternal Inn, was constructed in 1906. It’s a C-shaped structure with the opening facing Ohio. The Courtney cannot have occupied the lobby since the grand staircase still exists. The building is only three stories. There were lodge rooms for the Masons and Odd Fellows on the third floor, but as those were used until the ‘80s, they can’t have been the location of the theater. I suggest that the theater may have been in retail space on the ground floor. There is no marquee on the building. There may have been, but it was gone by 2010. Current usage is a hotel and restaurant. There may be some apartments, and there is retail on the east side and the SE corner.
Must have been in the block across from the courthouse. There’s no really obvious theater there, but a few existing buildings might have been the location.
I’ll also point out that the vertical sign is not a restoration but a replacement.
Picture of the Kellogg should be removed, it’s a totally different building. Not sure if it ever showed movies, it seems to have become a church pretty early on.
Obviously no-one was doing art deco in 1948. I’m not sure what I’d call the facade, and the auditorium was likely done in a budget streamline style. The website is dead, and they are now using FB: https://www.facebook.com/PleasantHillPlayersCommunityTheatre/
No, this is a few blocks away, and now a church.
Looking closer at my photos, and some others, that is definitely an aluminum poster case on the left. Does not look pre-1940. I think this must have re-opened, perhaps under another name.
I guess Breadeaux was reusing a later businesses sign. Maybe it became a bar or something?
The building which later housed the Electric was built between 1885 and 1892, and is a grocery on the 1907 Sanborn, so it opened between 1908-1916.
Opened after 1916, when the Sanborn map shows a narrow one-story building at 214, which houses a carpet cleaner.
I added a picture from a blah winter day long ago. On the 1916 Sanborn map, this building houses a bookstore/stationers. It appears to be vacant on the ‘19 streetview.
I think the NRHP listing is in error. Those older surveys were often very poorly researched. The 1918 Sanborn shows the ground floor with a saloon on the east and west of the ground floor, a barber with billiard room behind it in the center, a hall on the second floor, and a bar room on the east side of the third floor. I think the theater opened at some point later. Current usage is offices. Listing needs to be corrected as to the location of the other theater.
If the address is accurate, this should be listed as demolished. The site is now occupied either by part of city hall or a store next door.
Should be listed as demolished. Site is now a parking lot. Could we rotate the photo?
As Joe noted in 2010, the manager can’t have been there since 1927 and only have 25 years of service. He arrived in 1957.
Another that didn’t last long. By December 1909, it was a jeweler with a tailor in the rear half. This building is not demolished. It has an ugly modern fill to the storefront, and looks like some sort of office.
Didn’t last long. The December 1909 Sanborn shows 103 as a restaurant.
Address is wrong. The theater was on the west corner of Center and Jefferson. Number is perhaps 128 W Jefferson. The building next door is 130.
Address is wrong. There are no odd numbers on Main facing the square. The correct address is 109 S Washington.
Theater was not on the corner, but was somewhere north of the senior housing.
Address or description is wrong. 111 S Maple would have been in the middle of the block, south of 1st. There is indeed a vacant lot south of 107, which might have been where the theater was. The 1920 Sanborn shows a bunch of small wooden shops there, but of course they might have been demolished to be replaced by a theater.
Is it possible that the older Royal mentioned by Joe was the opera house? That building was at 105 W Newton. The current structure is either a remodel or a replacement.
This may have been named the Girard. There may also have been a Grand in town, although this may be another name for the opera house, which I already submitted.
If the identification as the Rex is indeed correct, it also presented stage acts. A 1912 issue of ‘The Player’ lists it among ‘Houses which Book Independently’. It was then managed by a Mr. McNamara. The section containing the stage did protrude beyond the east side of the building, so perhaps this contained dressing rooms.