Voncastle Theatre
23 E. Washington Street,
Greencastle,
IN
46135
23 E. Washington Street,
Greencastle,
IN
46135
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This was one of two theatres in town when I was growing up and when I was an undergraduate. Originally built as a store, the Voncastle Theatre was opened June 15, 1925 and closed May 20, 1973 with Hugo Stiglitz in “Robinson Crusoe and the Tiger”. It was soon demolished to make way for a bank parking lot. I worked in the box office at the last show. The “Von” was part of the Vonderschmitt Theatres chain in Indiana.
Contributed by
Jean Van Meter
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Another art deco theatre “torn down in the early Seventies to make way for a bank parking lot”. Urban renewal or redevelopment? I have a friend who grew up in Greencastle so I wonder if she has memories of the Von Castle Theatre? My hometown art deco theatre was torn down in the early Nineties to make way for a park!
The las movie I saw at the Von Castle was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This theatre was great! I wish i could find a pic of at least the sign!!
aaron birt
The Voncastle was a great theatre run by Mr and Mrs Dodds. She ran it for years after he died. I remember the matinees in the summer where they would have prize giveaways for the kids. I won a puppy there once from the local pet shop.
To answer Chuck1231’s question, I looked in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac under “Vonderschmitt Amusement Enterprises”, whose headquarters was in the Indiana Th. in Bloomington. It lists 2 theaters in Greencastle, the Strand and the Variety. But none named the “Voncastle”.
This one operated from June 15, 1925 to May 20, 1973.
Not sure why this is listed as art deco, unless the auditorium had been redone during the ‘30s. This beautiful stone-fronted set of stores was the Bayne Block, built sometime before 1887. There were originally 5 storefronts, and it looks like the theater took up two of these, the old 21, which was a wider space, and 23, keeping that address. Too bad some short-sighted fools thought a bare patch of asphalt was a better look for downtown.