Fox Theatre
520 N. Main Street,
Newton,
KS
67114
520 N. Main Street,
Newton,
KS
67114
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Related Websites
Fox Theatre - Newton (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox Midwest Amusement Corp.
Functions: Church
Previous Names: Royal Theatre, Regent Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Royal Theatre was opened in 1914. It was renamed Regent Theatre in 1921. Originally the address given for the Regent Theatre in 1950 was 218-20 Main Street. The street has now been re-numbered. It was renamed Fox Theatre in 1955 and closed as a movie theatre in 1999.
This classic theatre is currently owned by the city of Newton, which has been considering a plan to remodel the facility into a meeting center for the city’s Chamber of Commerce. The project is expected to cost half a million dollars, but no funding source has been determined yet. By January 2023 it was being used by a church.
Contributed by
Paul Salley
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
The Fox Theatre is located at 218-20 Main Street and it seated 636 people. It opened as the Regent Theatre.
This theater opened in 1914 as the Royal Theater. In 1921 it was re-vamped to provide facilities for vaudeville shows and was re-named Regent Theater and it started showing silent movies from the mid-1920’s. Fox took over the building in 1955, re-named it the Fox Theater and cut away the proscenioum opening to install a Cinemascope screen. It closed in 1999 showing Ron Howard’s film “EDtv”.
From 2010 a photo of Fox Theatre in Newton.
Facebook link to a diorama of the Fox Theatre. Scroll right for additional pics.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1202988183073306&set=pcb.512532928871189&type=3&theater&ifg=1
As of 2023 it’s being used as a church.
Are we sure of the 1914 opening for this house? The January 2, 1915 issue of Moving Picture World had this item: “NEWTON, KAN.—N. P. Nielson, 810 North 7th street, is preparing plans for a one and two-story moving picture theater, 50 by 150 feet. Lessee, T. H. McManus.” MPW’s report was a bit late, as the same project had been noted in the November 25, 1914 issue of Western Contractor with the notation “work under way.” It might have been completed before the end of 1914, though early 1915 seems as likely.
It’s definitely on the 1915 map. The KHRI entry data fields say 1915, but the text says that a Gem opened here, burned in 1914, and this building was constructed in 1914. It also says the Regent renaming happened in 1920, and the theater was enlarged at that point. It additionally notes that old Jimmy Crow was in force for black and Mexican patrons until ‘midcentury’.