Orpheum Theatre

119 W. Jefferson Street,
Ottawa, IL 61350

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on May 24, 2012 at 10:39 pm

Ottawa’s original Orpheum Theatre was rebuilt in 1924, according to an item in the January 5 issue of Exhibitors Herald that year:

“Ottawa, Ill.— Architect Jason F. Richardson, Jr., has been commissioned to rebuild the Orpheum theatre in Ottawa for B. S. Jordon at a cost of $70,000. The seating capacity will be increased to 1,025, with new seats and the entire interior rebuilt. Work will start in spring.”
This was the house that was virtually destroyed by fire some years later. I’ve yet to discover how old the Orpheum was at the time of its 1924 rebuilding.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 24, 2009 at 12:09 am

The Orpheum Theatre in Ottawa was rebuilt in 1937, several years after it had been virtually destroyed by a fire. Three walls of the original building remained standing, and the side walls were incorporated into the new theater by architect Irving M. Karlin. The surviving facade wall was demolished. Karlin wrote an article about the project which was published in the October 16, 1937, issue of Boxoffice. The new Orpheum was designed in the Moderne style.

arfranpe
arfranpe on December 9, 2008 at 7:36 pm

The Orphuem was my favorite growing up in Ottawa. It had a balcony and inside there was a wooden soldier theme/ There were circles on the walls, that had lights inside, that framed a wooden soldier and a wooden horse. The walls were painted with several wooden soldiers on parade.