State Theatre
817 Wabash Avenue,
Terre Haute,
IN
47807
817 Wabash Avenue,
Terre Haute,
IN
47807
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fourth Avenue Amusement Co.
Architects: Rodney W. Leonard
Previous Names: American Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The American Theatre was opened December 24, 1914. It was renamed State Theatre in early-July 1949. It was closed in summer of 1955.
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
This ad was in the Indiana Magazine of History. The article was about the Klan in Indiana in the twenties. I didn’t see another American theater listed in Indiana.
http://tinyurl.com/6rjcdj
If you look a half block down on the right you can see the American Theater. It’s blade can be seen with the theater building being set back. Tony Hulman housed some of his collection of cars in the building after it closed and called it The Early Wheels Museum. Yes the building is gone. http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/P0129&CISOPTR=1480&CISOBOX=1&REC=3
Here is information about the American Theatre from the March 25, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World:
The American Theatre was in the planning stage in late 1913. Here is an item from the September 13, 1913, issue of The American Contractor:
There was some delay in construction, though, and the project was still underway in 1914, when the October 31 issue of the Terre Haute Saturday Spectator reported the architect saying that, when completed, the American Theatre would be as near fireproof as possible, and that its floor was a single block of concrete formed in one continuous pour. Architect Rodney W. Leonard also designed the West Theatre in West Terre Haute in 1916.Found this link to the Early Wheels Museum: http://www.brisray.com/th/tpcards102.htm It includes this note: One of the largest Antique and Vintage Auto Collections in the world is located in the “Early Wheels Museum” on Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The Early Wheels Museum was located on Wabash Avenue, but was totally destroyed by fire in the mid 1980’s. Fortunately, prior to the fire, several trains and cars kept there had been moved to Indianapolis.
AMERICAN THEATRE OPENED DECEMBER 24, 1914.
The American was renamed the State before it became the Early Wheels Museum. (from If you grew up in Terre Haute FB page)
The name change from American Theatre to State Theatre took place around the middle of 1949. The Terre Haute Tribune ran an ad for the American on June 27, 1949, but was running an ad for the State by July 10 of that year. The state was in operation at least as late as July of 1955. As the State the house showed a lot of westerns, adventure films, and comedies.