Firemen's Theatre
22 N. Locust Avenue,
New Hampton,
IA
50659
22 N. Locust Avenue,
New Hampton,
IA
50659
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This was the second large theater built by the New Hampton Fire Department. The first was a 3,000-seat auditorium on the upper floors of the department’s new headquarters, a huge, Romanesque Revival pile built in 1898. It was apparently never used as a movie theater, but this second hall, opened in 1917, was equipped as a movie theater from very early in its history.
A notice that the Fireman’s Hall had begun operating as a full time movie theater appeared in the November 3, 1917 issue of Moving Picture World. The hall had opened earlier that year with live performances.
The Firemen’s Theatre closed as a movie house in 1984, but reopened in 1987 as a live venue. It was destroyed by an arson fire not too long after.
Portion to the left of the photo is still there, looking pretty shabby (everything to the right of the canvas awning is gone). The rest is a parking lot and solar array. Not sure why this is described as small. It was obviously massive, especially for a little town.
From New Hampton Iowa a photo postcard image of the Firemen’s Theatre.
Wonder if “TOWERING INFERNO” played there?
How Ironic!
The Firemens Theatre was purchased by Peterson Theatres of Waverly Iowa in 1974 from Ray Klenski and Ray Huffman. For a small town theatre it was huge in size. In its early days it was used as a vaudeville theatre complete with an orchestra pit and dressing rooms under the stage. If you look at Lost Memories photo of the theatre you will notice that there was a scene drop at the rear of the building that was used in the vaudeville days. It also had cat walks for the stage hands. The Firemens was closed in the mid 80’s and sold to a local investor who completely renovated it to become a live performance theatre once again. One live performer was Jerry Reed. The Firemens was a victim of arson in the late 1980’s of which nobody was ever convicted.
The pre 1919 photo is probably about right…I remember it had a neon sign marquee…isn’t it strange the name and then to be burned to the ground…
Opening date was 1917, according to the New Hampton Tribune.