Alhambra Theatre

205 W. Sycamore Street,
Kokomo, IN 46901

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on June 26, 2020 at 6:35 pm

The October 19, 1975 issue of the Kokomo Tribune has an article about the Alhambra Theatre. It was built in 1903 as an arena for roller polo, a game that became popular around the turn of the century. The Kokomo team played its first game in the new arena on December 2, 1903.

The venture was not a great financial success, and in 1907 the owners of the building converted it into a theater, adding a stage and dressing rooms and replacing the skating area with seating. This venture too had only a brief life, the building being converted into a furniture store for Sailor Brothers by 1910. On December 9, 1960 the building was razed by a fire, and the following year a Woolworth store was erected on the site.

SethG
SethG on June 25, 2020 at 12:03 pm

Just to help with dating, the 1902 map shows small wooden shops on this lot.

SethG
SethG on June 25, 2020 at 11:36 am

The Alhambra appears on the 1909 Sanborn with a capacity of 2,300. The balcony was a massive squared-off ‘U’, and extended all the way to the back wall. The stage seems to be a square centered on the back wall. By 1916 the building is a furniture store. This is either demolished, or the bottom floor was given a revolting dryvit remodel and is the current bank. The proper address was 205 W Sycamore.