Grand Theatre

Joe Vogel on March 8, 2024 at 7:02 am

A post about the recent demolition of the Paulding Theatre on the Facebook page of the John Paulding Historical Society says that the building was built in 1893. A period source says that it was slated to open on February 19, 1894. Another new theatre, called the Model Opera House, had opened in January.

The side walls of the Grand survived the 1946 fire, and the 1949 Paulding Theatre was essentially a steel framed structure built inside the brick shell of the old Grand. Part of the Grand’s front wall also survived the fire and was revealed under the newer building as it was demolished, seen for the first time in 75 years.

The Historical Society seems to think that the building was extended back to the alley for the first time after the fire, as that part of the building had cinder block walls, but I think the cinder block portion of the building must have occupied the location of the old stage house, which either didn’t survive the fire, or was simply too tall for the new, stage-less movie theater and thus was demolished.