Gem Theatre
12 S. Center Street,
Versailles,
OH
45380
12 S. Center Street,
Versailles,
OH
45380
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The 1911 Sanborn shows ‘Moving Pictures’ operating in the northern storefront of an old commercial block near the town hall.
This building was constructed sometime well before 1893. The 1902 map shows the space as a meat market. This theater was not long in operation, and the 1925 map shows it reverted to retail.
On the 1911 map, the address was 108, but this was later changed to 4. It now must be something between 8 and 14. The building is in fairly good shape, but the storefront that used to hold the theater has been turned into a garage, likely for the commercial printer that occupies the building.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
Sorry, slight typo, it’s the 1925 map that shows it as a store. Not that it’s really important, but the garage door seems to have been added by 1937, when this space had become what must have been a really tiny dealership.
A Gem Theatre was one of two movie houses listed at Versailles in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. The other was a house called the Royal Theatre.
In 1922, Versailles had a movie house called the Crystal, and in 1950 one called the Versailles. So far I’ve been unable to find out anything about either of them.
One of those names at least must be an AKA for the opera house. I didn’t see a third theater anywhere on the maps, and downtown really isn’t that large.