Senate Theatre
9 North Broadway,
St. Louis,
MO
63101
9 North Broadway,
St. Louis,
MO
63101
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 4 comments
The SENATE Theatre ceiling collapse happened at 2:25 p.m. on Thursday, July 8, 1948. An adjoining building’s wall had given way and fell upon the SENATE’S roof. Fifty patrons were in the balcony at the time, some of whom assisted in rescue. One woman was said to be completely covered in brick and mortar, according to patron James Robins who had been seated nearby.
The Senate closed in October 1964.
Building permit for theatre issued in Sept. 1925, so theatre opened in late 1925 or early 1926—no ads were in paper so exact date of opening is indeterminate.
Architect listed on building permit is A. H. Steel.
Most notable event in theatre’s history occurred in July 1948 when 11 patrons were injured as a wall in a building immediately to the south, which was being demolished, crashed through the roof of the Senate during a matinee.
As for the information that the theatre was on the “skirts” of downtown, St. Louisans know that Broadway and Chestnut (where the theatre was located) is in the thick of downtown.
This was part of the Goldman-Plikos Circuit in the early sixties.