Comments from SethG

Showing 1,301 - 1,325 of 1,737 comments

SethG
SethG commented about Fisk Theatre on Aug 20, 2019 at 10:57 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Fisk Theatre on Aug 20, 2019 at 10:53 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Courtney Theatre on Aug 20, 2019 at 9:25 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Butler Theatre on Aug 20, 2019 at 9:16 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Peoples Theatre on Aug 17, 2019 at 10:06 am

I’ll also point out that the vertical sign is not a restoration but a replacement.

SethG
SethG commented about Peoples Theatre on Aug 17, 2019 at 10:01 am

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/

SethG
SethG commented about Peoples Theatre on Aug 17, 2019 at 9:54 am

No, this is a few blocks away, and now a church.

SethG
SethG commented about Olympic Theatre on Aug 17, 2019 at 7:56 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Olympic Theatre on Aug 17, 2019 at 7:39 am

I guess Breadeaux was reusing a later businesses sign. Maybe it became a bar or something?

SethG
SethG commented about Electric Theatre on Aug 16, 2019 at 11:45 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Majestic Theatre on Aug 16, 2019 at 8:41 am

Opened after 1916, when the Sanborn map shows a narrow one-story building at 214, which houses a carpet cleaner.

SethG
SethG commented about Plaza Theatre on Aug 16, 2019 at 8:30 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Eagle Theatre on Aug 14, 2019 at 12:43 pm

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.

SethG
SethG commented about New Royal Theatre on Aug 13, 2019 at 6:19 pm

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Mainstreet Theatre on Aug 12, 2019 at 9:00 am

Should be listed as demolished. Site is now a parking lot. Could we rotate the photo?

SethG
SethG commented about Grand Theatre on Aug 11, 2019 at 2:09 pm

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Dreamland Theatre on Aug 11, 2019 at 10:59 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Nickel Dome Theatre on Aug 11, 2019 at 10:56 am

Didn’t last long. The December 1909 Sanborn shows 103 as a restaurant.

SethG
SethG commented about Uptown Theatre on Aug 11, 2019 at 10:52 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Lee Theatre on Aug 11, 2019 at 10:45 am

Address is wrong. There are no odd numbers on Main facing the square. The correct address is 109 S Washington.

SethG
SethG commented about Ozark Theater on Aug 6, 2019 at 9:50 am

Theater was not on the corner, but was somewhere north of the senior housing.

SethG
SethG commented about Electric Theater on Aug 6, 2019 at 9:42 am

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.

SethG
SethG commented about Royal Theatre on Aug 6, 2019 at 7:42 am

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
SethG commented about Theatre on 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.

SethG
SethG commented about Rex Theatre on Aug 6, 2019 at 6:23 am

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.