Gem Theatre
115 W. Walnut Street,
Rogers,
AR
72756
115 W. Walnut Street,
Rogers,
AR
72756
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Ozark Theatre
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Located in the centre of a block of 3 brick two story buildings built between 1901 and 1908. The central space was first used as a furniture store. The Ozark Theatre was opened on April 15, 1910 and appears on the 1914 Sanborn, in the central storefront of the block.
This theatre, like so many built in older commercial buildings, was quite deep but fairly narrow. It was renamed Gem Theatre and operated until at least 1917. It reverted to retail use many years ago.
It had most recently been a jewelry store, but this closed in 2022. The building at that point was in excellent shape. The current use is unknown, and it’s unclear whether the tornado of May 26, 2024 caused any damage.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
I’ve added a photo from my visit years ago.
The Gem operated at least into 1917, when it was mentioned in the January 6 issue of Moving Picture World. Later the town had houses called the Lyric (by 1919,) the Victoria (by 1920,) and the Lion Head (permanently closed in June or July, 1922.) The only theater listed at Rogers in the 1926 FDY was the Victory.
I suppose this could have later become the Lyric, but there are other candidates. It would be nice if the 1923 map was available online. Should be by now, but the LoC hasn’t scanned it.
I came across this Facebook post from the Rogers Historical Museum, and it says that 115 W. Walnut was the address of a movie house called the Ozark Theatre that opened on April 15, 1910. Unfortunately the post doesn’t go into any detail about the building’s later history.
That certainly fits with the dates of the maps. Could have begun as the Ozark, and become the Gem. As we know, there are often a lot of name changes. I didn’t have any information, but Ken often helps with an ID when I find one of these.