Wareham Hall
410 Poyntz Avenue,
Manhattan,
KS
66502
410 Poyntz Avenue,
Manhattan,
KS
66502
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 28 comments
Again, the opening date for the opera house, which is not the same building anyway, is wrong. The opera house was at least 11 years old in 1893, when it was purchased by Wareham. The 1897 map still calls it Moore’s Opera House.
As I said before, since the new building is so much larger than the opera house, it wouldn’t be possible for any of it to remain, except possibly parts of the side walls or some of the foundation.
Quite a few theaters in the 1926 FDY are listed as Opera House or “(Name) Op H.” but the Wareham is not among them. It was surely the Wareham Theatre by then.
Currently, the theater is closed for rentals, and the dinner theater format appears to have been abandoned some time ago. In 2022 the building was purchased by a non-profit organization that hopes to renovate and return the building to full theatrical use as a regional performing arts facility. The group, which has already received state funding for feasibility studies, calls itself, and apparently the building as well, Wareham Hall. Here is their official web site.
The web site has a history of the building which unfortunately includes nothing about the rebuilding (or extensive alterations) that must have taken place in the 1910s. A page for Wareham Hall at the Downtown Manhattan web site says: “In 1893 Harry P, Wareham purchased the building, installed electricity and renamed it The Wareham Opera House. In 1910, the structure was enlarged and remodeled with the current facade. In 1911 a screen was installed in front of the stage and the Wareham became the second theater in Kansas to show movies [a dubious claim]. The Wareham remained one of Manhattan’s main movie theaters until 1986.”
I also see no evidence that the old opera house included a hotel. This is definitely something that would have shown up on a fire insurance map. There is no hotel shown anywhere on this block on any map, until the construction of the Hotel Wareham in 1926.
The history is wrong.
Moore’s Opera House was built around 1882, and is shown on the 1885 map. I’m not at all sure that it has anything to do with the Wareham, except that it occupied the lot. There is some confusing information out there. Wareham purchased the building in 1893. The 1905 map shows it as the Wareham Opera House, and it is listed as such in that year’s Cahn guide.
The KS historical society says the theater was built in 1909, the date at the top of the building is 1910, but the 1912 map still shows the opera house in its old configuration. The 1923 map, which shows the new theater, has it 12 feet taller than the old building, and much deeper. I doubt there was any of the old structure retained at all. That map calls it the Wareham Theatre, so the 1938 renaming date is definitely bogus.
I suspect the Electric name was only used briefly. The theater was likely showing films earlier than 1914, since the airdome to the west, which was most likely associated with this theater, was open by 1912.
This house appears to have operated as a movie theater as early as 1914, when the American Motion Picture Directory listed the “Electric Theatre, 410 Pointz Ave.”
The Moore’s Opera House Opened On August 17th, 1893. The Theater Reopened As The Wareham Theatre On September 15, 1938.
The Oct. 27, 1951 issue of Boxoffice had a two-page story, with pictures, of the Wareham and how it rebounded from terrible flood damage in July that year.
I found a couple photos of the Wareham Theater I had taken years ago. Uploaded both of them (one twice somehow, sorry). One of the concession stand and the other of the screen area (now removed). They both look much smaller than I remember from working there in the 1970’s.
I just learned of this theatre in Manhattan, Kansas known as “the little Apple”. Very nice.
Tinseltoes: The Carlton is not yet listed. CinemaTour gives the address of the Carlton Theatre as 300 S. 4th Street. It is probably the same building that now houses Ady’s Appliance, 302 S. 4th (southwest corner of Pierre Street), though architect Louis Siebers' streamline modern facade has been given a boxy modernization
I’m afraid I’ve reached the limits of my memory. I remember, as a boy and teenager, crossing the river and seeing the drive-in. How far east, I’m not sure but certainly not too far. Venturing a guess, I would say maybe a mile or two at the most east of the river.
I’m not sure what is on the property now but I know Manhattan has expanded somewhat in that direction (more so to the west). I do get back there occasionally and will check it out and post back
Thanks yet again, Hendy. How far east of the river was the Edgewood? Do you know what occupies the the former Edgewood & Bob’s properties now?
I just looked at the postcard again and I believe I can make out the Edgewood’s screen tower just above the motel roof and behind the trees. Here is a link to the postcard: View link
You are getting closer. Just a bit farther to the east on US24 and across the Blue River. The theater was located on the north side of the highway. Using Mapquest, I cannot find any street/road names that would be helpful but what I’m describing is the general area. I Googled Bob’s Motel (right next to the Edgewood) and found an old postcard with a picture of the motel. It describes being next door to a theater but no solid address given.
Thanks again, Hendy. I have pinpointed the Sky Vue, but am not sure about the Edgewood. What street/road was the Edgewood on? Perhaps on/near McCall & Kretschmer Dr?
No, neither location is correct. Both of the areas you reference are on the west and northwest side of Manhattan. The theaters were not located there. The Edgewood was about 2 miles east of Manhattan just north of Rt. 24 near Bob’s Motel (now also gone). The Sky-Vue was on the southwest part of town. The theater was bounded by Rt. 18, Rosencutter Rd., and Stagg Hill Rd. Go to Mapquest and you’ll see the area I’m talking about. The Sky-Vue land was used for a flea/farmers market for awhile, eventually sold and developed.
Hey Hendy, thanks! Was the Edgewood DI was on US 24 at Walters Dr? And the Sky Vue was at the corner of Claffin Rd and Browning Ave?
Hi Wareham. I have great memories of your family’s Wareham Theater as a boy. I attended my first movie there. I remember being overwhelmed by the size of the auditorium and the “magic” of the huge picture being shown from that “little room” way up at the back of the balcony. When the balcony was open, I used to sit in a seat directly below the viewing window the projectionist (Olin Remmert at the time) would sit at while the reels were running. I would sneak peeks into the room and watch the projectionist at work. Eventually, he invited me in for a look and this is when my interest in theaters and the projection room blossomed. Do you remember Harry Wareham’s home on Poyntz Avenue (Tanglewood)?
ronkimball, the Sky-Vue Drive-In Theater was located on the southwest side of Manhattan. I was the projectionist there for a short while in the summer of 1966. There was, however, another drive-in (The Edgewood) on the east side of Manhattan on Highway 24. I believe it was destroyed by fire in the 1960’s. As memory serves, there was a trailer park nearby.
There were two other theaters in Manhattan during the early 60’s that haven’t been mentioned above; the State and the Co-Ed.
WOW! The Wareham is just like I remember my Mom describing it to me when I was a little boy. This was my Grandfathers Hotel & Cinema.
My Mom was Sandra Wareham. Thank you, for perseving this historical
Cinema.
hello, was the sky vue drive in located in the north side of town, on us 24 and by a trailer park?
The Wareham in 1991:
View link
Very Strange: I went to the Wareham for a wedding of our friends, and while we were there, we found 2 very strange rooms after entering the 2 doors at the top of the balcony. What we found was a 3rd room after entering a small hole in the wall! The room had tons of square holes in it and looked as if it was once a projector room; hence the faded sign on a door leaning in the far corner. check out these pics: View link
The current occupant is the Wareham Opera House, which is a banquet hall for wedding receptions and meetings. Interestingly enough, the Wareham Theater replaced the Wareham Opera House back in the early part of the twentieth century. Here is a December 2007 article about the renovation of the theater by the current owners:
http://tinyurl.com/56c4be
The Wareham Theatre was located on Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan in the heart of the old downtown area. It was probably 3-4 miles away from KSU and “Aggieville” as we locals called the college area. The Campus and Varsity Theatres were located in Aggieville. I grew up in Manhattan and worked at all the Manhattan Theatres including the Sky-Vue Drive In. I remember the Saturday morning kids summer movies at the Wareham when you could gain admission with “tabs” from milk cartons. The matinees were 25 cents, popcorn and a coke 10 cents each, shows at 1, 3, 5, 7, & 9.