Circle Theatre
205 W. Main Street,
Anamosa,
IA
52205
205 W. Main Street,
Anamosa,
IA
52205
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Opened in the late-1930’s. The Circle Theatre was the smaller of the Main Street theatres. Seating was listed at a little under 200. It was located just a few blocks west of the larger Niles Theatre. The Circle Theatre closed in the early-1950’s.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
205 W. Main Street is currently the location of Knuckleheads, a bar and restaurant with live music. (Google Street View has its numbers a block off, showing this location as being in the 100 block.)
In 1937, Clifford Niles and his son Charles operated three theaters in Anamosa, according to an item in The Film Daily of November 15. The names of the theaters were not given, but the Circle must have been one of them, along with the Niles. I’ve been unable to find the name of the third theater.
The Circle was not open in 1937. I think the article was confused by his ownership of some theaters in other towns. It doesn’t show up in listings until 1947. It’s still listed in 1952, the 1953 listings are useless, and it’s gone in 1954.
The bar has closed, and the building has been gutted and renovated. I’m not sure what is there now. The building is very old, and was built before 1886.
The Circle Theatre is mentioned in a locally published (in 1988) book called “Anamosa - A Reminiscence”: “In the late 1930s, Mr. Niles opened another smaller theater in Anamosa, in addition to the Niles Theater. It was on the north side of Main street in the block between Ford and Gamavillo streets. This was called the Circle Theater and much smaller and less elaborate than the parent theater.” A later paragraph in the same book notes that in 1939, a John Watters was manager of the Circle.
This building is in the NRHP listing for downtown as the Watters & Niles building, having been built by the Watters brothers in 1871. No real history is given, but the Niles name may refer to its time as a theater. It could just as well be that a family member ran a store here.