The missing section collapsed in 1986, due to the trusses being cut during its prior conversion to a warehouse. There are bronze footprints in the sidewalk leading to the former entry in the center of the S Main side, as well as an inscription ‘Temple of Amusement’. The activities were intended not only for the townsfolk, but for the diversion of the large number of tourists who came to relax or take the cure in the various hotels and bathhouses.
The NRHP listing has some interesting pictures of the theater in the late ‘70s and early '80s. The only authentic historical detail on the exterior of the theater is the large central window, and the two round ones. The rest is a reproduction. The photos can be seen on the last pages of this document: https://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/82003158.pdf
Street is wrong. The address is 102 W North Main (because of course having two Main Streets couldn’t be confusing). In the 2008 streetview, it looks like there is some sort of ornamentation on the building, but it now has a drab dryvit façade. It has been the Ray County 911 office for at least 10 years. Judging from the stone foundation and bricked-in windows on the side, the building is very old. It definitely appears on the 1909 Sanborn as a dry goods store, but it is likely that it is one half of an opera house, which appears as early as 1883.
The theater is still open, but the website has a lot of broken pages. The 1909 Sanborn calls it Daugherty’s Auditorium, and it’s unclear whether it was yet showing movies.
The Casino is on the 1913 Sanborn, exactly where Joe suggests. The theater is a large one story brick building that goes back more than half a block. There was just a narrow alley between it and the furniture store behind it (which is still there). The entire northern edge is a 2 story section of shops, which I believe was a separate building. It was an empty lot in 2008, and now there appears to be Section 8 housing there.
Almost certainly demolished. Only two buildings in the sad downtown still have names, and both were banks. They are also the only two remaining two story buildings.
Once again, Chuck has all sorts of details wrong. The extension office is at 101 S Main, and there’s absolutely no way a theater could have fit in that tiny space. 204 N Main, and indeed the entire 200 block, is far too old to have been built after 1954. 204 S Main doesn’t make much sense. Possible locations would be Broadway, Locust, or Maple Streets, all of which have vacant lots and/or new construction.
I think the building is still there. It’s a narrow little thing with a concrete block façade. On the 1922 Sanborn, that space is occupied by a small wooden carpet cleaners shop. The current structure is an insurance office in streetview, but now appears to be a café.
The street has to be wrong. Both dmt and Tp show that the theater was open in 1914. Thus, the only choice is the theater shown on the 1916 Sanborn. It is located at 120 S 5th St. The building is currently a florist. To the extent that you can see anything at all in the photo, the second floor windows appear to be the same shape.
It’s just a vacant lot. Doubt anything will ever replace the buildings that were there, although the church has built an addition on the site of the little building that was to the left of the theater (maybe a telephone exchange?). Between church parking lots, drive through banks, and general neglect, downtown has shrunk quite a bit.
Apologies, but Electric may not be the name. It appears to be a classification used by this particular surveyor. There is another ‘electric’ on the same block.
I’m not sure how destroyed it was in the fire. Old photo is from 1940, and aside from the loss of the tile roof, the structure appears identical. I imagine the structure was gutted, but was able to be reused. At some later point, the ground floor got an ugly remodel with cheap aluminum doors and tacky dryvit covering the shop windows. Not sure when it closed, but the 2009 streetview shows the marquee already gone, and the building clearly vacant.
Should be listed as demolished. This entire side of the block has been destroyed with a few dreary prefab buildings and an indifferent bank replacing them.
This should be listed as demolished. Building is vacant on the 1909 Sanborn, but the 1916 map shows the Grand Opera House showing movies, with a seating capacity of 304. It’s a deep but narrow one story brick building, almost certainly a converted storefront.
Can we clarify which corner? The 1916 Sanborn shows a “Moving Picture Theatre” on the north side of the 300 block (perhaps 320-something), in a one story stone building. Only a fragment of that structure survives as steps and part of a wall with a metal shed built on top. Second from the corner on the north side of the 400 block (probably 402) is the town hall, which is noted as having a stage. This building is visible (just barely) on the crummy 2008 streetview, but the satellite view shows that it has collapsed in a heap.
If it was on the corner, there must have been renumbering. The current 119 is the second from the corner. The corner building makes more sense. It’s an old Knights of Pythias hall, and fairly well kept, aside from some ugly window covers. It’s a fair bit deeper than the present 119. In 2010, it was a closed grocery store, and might now be residential.
Given that the street names on these listings aren’t terribly reliable, one suggestion for either of the two theaters in town would be the sad old derelict on 3rd, just north/east of the alley. As a note, the 1911 Sanborn has a ‘cheap theatre’ located on the other side of 3rd, in a small brick building (long gone), that is also labeled as ‘grocery warehouse’. Not sure how that worked.
According to the state survey of historic structures, the theater was gone by 1917. The modifications to the building took place after a fire in 1956.
The missing section collapsed in 1986, due to the trusses being cut during its prior conversion to a warehouse. There are bronze footprints in the sidewalk leading to the former entry in the center of the S Main side, as well as an inscription ‘Temple of Amusement’. The activities were intended not only for the townsfolk, but for the diversion of the large number of tourists who came to relax or take the cure in the various hotels and bathhouses.
The NRHP listing has some interesting pictures of the theater in the late ‘70s and early '80s. The only authentic historical detail on the exterior of the theater is the large central window, and the two round ones. The rest is a reproduction. The photos can be seen on the last pages of this document: https://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/82003158.pdf
Street is wrong. The address is 102 W North Main (because of course having two Main Streets couldn’t be confusing). In the 2008 streetview, it looks like there is some sort of ornamentation on the building, but it now has a drab dryvit façade. It has been the Ray County 911 office for at least 10 years. Judging from the stone foundation and bricked-in windows on the side, the building is very old. It definitely appears on the 1909 Sanborn as a dry goods store, but it is likely that it is one half of an opera house, which appears as early as 1883.
The theater is still open, but the website has a lot of broken pages. The 1909 Sanborn calls it Daugherty’s Auditorium, and it’s unclear whether it was yet showing movies.
Should be listed as demolished. Entire block now a hulking concrete playhouse and parking lots.
The Casino is on the 1913 Sanborn, exactly where Joe suggests. The theater is a large one story brick building that goes back more than half a block. There was just a narrow alley between it and the furniture store behind it (which is still there). The entire northern edge is a 2 story section of shops, which I believe was a separate building. It was an empty lot in 2008, and now there appears to be Section 8 housing there.
He’s also misspelled Siloam. Anyhow, this theater must have been at 208 S Thompson. It’s now a parking lot.
Almost certainly demolished. Only two buildings in the sad downtown still have names, and both were banks. They are also the only two remaining two story buildings.
Once again, Chuck has all sorts of details wrong. The extension office is at 101 S Main, and there’s absolutely no way a theater could have fit in that tiny space. 204 N Main, and indeed the entire 200 block, is far too old to have been built after 1954. 204 S Main doesn’t make much sense. Possible locations would be Broadway, Locust, or Maple Streets, all of which have vacant lots and/or new construction.
I think the building is still there. It’s a narrow little thing with a concrete block façade. On the 1922 Sanborn, that space is occupied by a small wooden carpet cleaners shop. The current structure is an insurance office in streetview, but now appears to be a café.
Theater building is still there, with a very ugly façade which might be from around 1960-70. It appears to be a doctor’s office.
The street has to be wrong. Both dmt and Tp show that the theater was open in 1914. Thus, the only choice is the theater shown on the 1916 Sanborn. It is located at 120 S 5th St. The building is currently a florist. To the extent that you can see anything at all in the photo, the second floor windows appear to be the same shape.
Aside from the uselessly blurry picture above, all of the other pictures appear to be of the 1946 structure.
This theater didn’t burn in 1943, it was the Tivoli/New Globe which did.
It’s just a vacant lot. Doubt anything will ever replace the buildings that were there, although the church has built an addition on the site of the little building that was to the left of the theater (maybe a telephone exchange?). Between church parking lots, drive through banks, and general neglect, downtown has shrunk quite a bit.
If it hasn’t been demolished, a few of the buildings on the west side of the 400 block could be candidates.
Apologies, but Electric may not be the name. It appears to be a classification used by this particular surveyor. There is another ‘electric’ on the same block.
I added a photo from just before demolition.
I’m not sure how destroyed it was in the fire. Old photo is from 1940, and aside from the loss of the tile roof, the structure appears identical. I imagine the structure was gutted, but was able to be reused. At some later point, the ground floor got an ugly remodel with cheap aluminum doors and tacky dryvit covering the shop windows. Not sure when it closed, but the 2009 streetview shows the marquee already gone, and the building clearly vacant.
Should be listed as demolished. This entire side of the block has been destroyed with a few dreary prefab buildings and an indifferent bank replacing them.
This should be listed as demolished. Building is vacant on the 1909 Sanborn, but the 1916 map shows the Grand Opera House showing movies, with a seating capacity of 304. It’s a deep but narrow one story brick building, almost certainly a converted storefront.
Can we clarify which corner? The 1916 Sanborn shows a “Moving Picture Theatre” on the north side of the 300 block (perhaps 320-something), in a one story stone building. Only a fragment of that structure survives as steps and part of a wall with a metal shed built on top. Second from the corner on the north side of the 400 block (probably 402) is the town hall, which is noted as having a stage. This building is visible (just barely) on the crummy 2008 streetview, but the satellite view shows that it has collapsed in a heap.
If it was on the corner, there must have been renumbering. The current 119 is the second from the corner. The corner building makes more sense. It’s an old Knights of Pythias hall, and fairly well kept, aside from some ugly window covers. It’s a fair bit deeper than the present 119. In 2010, it was a closed grocery store, and might now be residential.
Given that the street names on these listings aren’t terribly reliable, one suggestion for either of the two theaters in town would be the sad old derelict on 3rd, just north/east of the alley. As a note, the 1911 Sanborn has a ‘cheap theatre’ located on the other side of 3rd, in a small brick building (long gone), that is also labeled as ‘grocery warehouse’. Not sure how that worked.