Address may have been 105. If so, this is still here. The KHRI entry says this section of the bank is a 1965 remodel of the old theater building. It does not appear on the 1908 map, but apparently does appear on the 1925 map, which is not available online. The theater is still listed in the 1956 Yearbook.
I suspect the dates are wrong. The theater is shown on the 1936 map. It was a conversion of a small storefront built sometime between 1899 and 1909. The 1922 map shows the post office there. I think it opened in 1935 or 1936 as the Oriental. It was likely just renamed in 1946. It had 250 seats through at least 1949.
Nearly this entire listing is wrong. The north side of the square is between 9th and 10th. The correct address was something like 916. In addition, the information about the fire is false. The building was already gone. The 1922 map shows the theater in a two story building, the third from the corner. By 1926, it seems to have closed. The 1936 map shows a store there. The older streetviews show a run-down bar in a one story building at this location. The 2012 streetview shows all the buildings still there. Three buildings are missing from the 2023 streetview. The photo of the Auditorium is unrelated, and should be removed.
Listed in the 1926 Yearbook with 450 seats. If this address is correct, then this has been demolished. There’s a 1960s (?) bank on the east half of that block.
The address is wrong. This was on the east side of the street. The last building on that block has a 113 address, so it was probably something like 117 or 121 at most.
The building was constructed in 1910-11 by the Knights of Columbus, and was a very plain, boxy building with a peaked roof giving a hint of Georgian/Colonial architecture. The 1914-15 AMPD lists a Peoples Theatre. That could be this building, if it was showing films at this point. The early Yearbooks (through 1935 at least) list the Ellinwood with only 200 seats, which is either a mistake, or indicates either a balcony closure or perhaps movies shown elsewhere. 1940 shows it with 400 seats.
Very sparse entry. The original 1930-31 theater was only two stories high. The second floor in the front was used as warehouse space and an upholstering workshop by the Wiley department store which the theater is attached to by the section over the passage. The top two stories were added 1946-47 by the store to provide more storage space. The KHRI entry has some pictures of this here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=155-2660-00179 Oddly, the 1950 Sanborn fails to note the two additional stories.
Really cheap and depressing dryvit 1980s mall food court facade. I can’t believe they trashed it like that. Looked nice until the ‘90s, then they painted all the colorful ornamentation black, and by 2007, they destroyed the front.
The history is wrong. This building has been demolished. The actual address was 114. You can see in the postcard view that the Royal was much closer to the center of the block. The 1942 map shows a one story ‘fireproof’ building here, and says it was constructed in 1938. That building is still there, under a really crappy sheet metal facade which merges it with some buildings to the south.
This has not been demolished. It’s just been covered with a trashy cheap sheet metal facade. Looking at the satellite view, the two separate buildings are easily visible. The building, which comprises 13 and 15 is now a martial arts school.
The Liberty building was very old, being built sometime before 1884. It was a two story brick building. The 1905 map shows it as a grocery store. The building survived at least until 1950, when the First National bank was located in what was surely a much more attractive 1912 5 story building on the corner.
Note that the statement about the projection room is wrong. Nothing is shown on the 1909 map, and the 1915 map (and all subsequent) shows a small external structure on the rear wall which must have been the projection booth.
In addition, there is some missing history. The 1922 map shows a store here, but the theater returns on the 1929 map.
Either the opening date is wrong, or this opened under another name. The theater is shown on the August 1909 Sanborn. The site is a vacant lot on the 1905 map.
The newspaper history is definitely wrong. The 1929 flood was in July, and the building had been gone for some time by then. The Sanborn map for 1929 is also from July, and shows the Burt building.
This likely closed some years before 1926. The 1922 Sanborn notes the theater as ‘not used’, although the small storefronts either side of the entrance are occupied. The theater is operating on the 1915 Sanborn, but is not listed in the AMPD for 1914-15.
According to an old postcard, this was the Orpheum. The building originally had an elaborate cornice with a raised central portion containing the name of the building on a curved tablet.
Very poor entry. This first appears in the Yearbook in 1939. No capacity is noted up to at least 1945. The 1947 Yearbook lists it as closed, but it is shown as open in the 1951 volume. It has disappeared by 1956. This was likely located in an older two story commercial building which probably had a similar appearance to the sad wreck at 106. Given the appearance of the dull one story building on the site, it was likely torn down by 1960.
Address may have been 105. If so, this is still here. The KHRI entry says this section of the bank is a 1965 remodel of the old theater building. It does not appear on the 1908 map, but apparently does appear on the 1925 map, which is not available online. The theater is still listed in the 1956 Yearbook.
There were some other segregated rooming houses, etc. in this area. Thanks for the ID!
There is at least one later map which would help to clarify this, but it’s not available online.
I’ll make a listing for this one. Please re-contribute the picture to that listing.
I suspect the dates are wrong. The theater is shown on the 1936 map. It was a conversion of a small storefront built sometime between 1899 and 1909. The 1922 map shows the post office there. I think it opened in 1935 or 1936 as the Oriental. It was likely just renamed in 1946. It had 250 seats through at least 1949.
Nearly this entire listing is wrong. The north side of the square is between 9th and 10th. The correct address was something like 916. In addition, the information about the fire is false. The building was already gone. The 1922 map shows the theater in a two story building, the third from the corner. By 1926, it seems to have closed. The 1936 map shows a store there. The older streetviews show a run-down bar in a one story building at this location. The 2012 streetview shows all the buildings still there. Three buildings are missing from the 2023 streetview. The photo of the Auditorium is unrelated, and should be removed.
Listed in the 1926 Yearbook with 450 seats. If this address is correct, then this has been demolished. There’s a 1960s (?) bank on the east half of that block.
The address is wrong. This was on the east side of the street. The last building on that block has a 113 address, so it was probably something like 117 or 121 at most.
The building was constructed in 1910-11 by the Knights of Columbus, and was a very plain, boxy building with a peaked roof giving a hint of Georgian/Colonial architecture. The 1914-15 AMPD lists a Peoples Theatre. That could be this building, if it was showing films at this point. The early Yearbooks (through 1935 at least) list the Ellinwood with only 200 seats, which is either a mistake, or indicates either a balcony closure or perhaps movies shown elsewhere. 1940 shows it with 400 seats.
I wonder if the remodel didn’t take a while. The November 1922 map shows this as a store.
Very sparse entry. The original 1930-31 theater was only two stories high. The second floor in the front was used as warehouse space and an upholstering workshop by the Wiley department store which the theater is attached to by the section over the passage. The top two stories were added 1946-47 by the store to provide more storage space. The KHRI entry has some pictures of this here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=155-2660-00179 Oddly, the 1950 Sanborn fails to note the two additional stories.
Really cheap and depressing dryvit 1980s mall food court facade. I can’t believe they trashed it like that. Looked nice until the ‘90s, then they painted all the colorful ornamentation black, and by 2007, they destroyed the front.
The random picture of the Chief needs to be removed.
This is really awful and blurry. What is the source image?
The history is wrong. This building has been demolished. The actual address was 114. You can see in the postcard view that the Royal was much closer to the center of the block. The 1942 map shows a one story ‘fireproof’ building here, and says it was constructed in 1938. That building is still there, under a really crappy sheet metal facade which merges it with some buildings to the south.
This has not been demolished. It’s just been covered with a trashy cheap sheet metal facade. Looking at the satellite view, the two separate buildings are easily visible. The building, which comprises 13 and 15 is now a martial arts school.
Just to firm up the dates a bit, the Iris is listed in the 1926 Yearbook.
The Liberty building was very old, being built sometime before 1884. It was a two story brick building. The 1905 map shows it as a grocery store. The building survived at least until 1950, when the First National bank was located in what was surely a much more attractive 1912 5 story building on the corner.
Note that the statement about the projection room is wrong. Nothing is shown on the 1909 map, and the 1915 map (and all subsequent) shows a small external structure on the rear wall which must have been the projection booth.
In addition, there is some missing history. The 1922 map shows a store here, but the theater returns on the 1929 map.
Either the opening date is wrong, or this opened under another name. The theater is shown on the August 1909 Sanborn. The site is a vacant lot on the 1905 map.
The newspaper history is definitely wrong. The 1929 flood was in July, and the building had been gone for some time by then. The Sanborn map for 1929 is also from July, and shows the Burt building.
This likely closed some years before 1926. The 1922 Sanborn notes the theater as ‘not used’, although the small storefronts either side of the entrance are occupied. The theater is operating on the 1915 Sanborn, but is not listed in the AMPD for 1914-15.
Ken is looking into it. Might want to email him and let him know. Do you use Gmail? I do.
I can now say for sure that this was not the Orpheum.
According to an old postcard, this was the Orpheum. The building originally had an elaborate cornice with a raised central portion containing the name of the building on a curved tablet.
Thanks for all the research! It is frustrating that I am still not receiving notifications.
Useless aside, but the Westside Odd Fellows Lodge in Wichita was built in 1911, and is very similar in form. I assume that was a Terry effort as well.
Very poor entry. This first appears in the Yearbook in 1939. No capacity is noted up to at least 1945. The 1947 Yearbook lists it as closed, but it is shown as open in the 1951 volume. It has disappeared by 1956. This was likely located in an older two story commercial building which probably had a similar appearance to the sad wreck at 106. Given the appearance of the dull one story building on the site, it was likely torn down by 1960.