Mecca Theater
511 State Street,
Augusta,
KS
67010
511 State Street,
Augusta,
KS
67010
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This theater may have opened in March of 1913. It was apparently a successor to the tiny Nickelodeon, which had operated across the street. It was located in an old two story stone building with a brick front. This was constructed before 1884, and in 1908 had been a millinery.
This theater is shown on the 1915 and 1917 maps. The 1923 map is not available online. It later became the Mecca Theater, which is listed in the 1926 Yearbook with 200-seats.
The building is fairly well preserved today, although the brickwork has been stuccoed. It is used as part of the space for the drugstore at 509.
Contributed by
Seth Gaines
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
Here’s the earliest mention of Augusta’s Idle Hour I’ve found in the trade journals. It’s from the February 17, 1917 issue of Motion Picture News: “KANSAS.— Augusta: Mrs. Jack Reinbold accompanied her husband to Kansas City last week, as usual, to select pictures for the Idle Hour at Augusta, Kan. Mrs. Reinbold does most of the selecting; in fact, frequently making trips by herself for the purpose. She has been markedly successful. Augusta is a raining town, and she seems to hit off its tastes well. Billie Burke has made a hit there, and has been one of the most successful bookings made by the Idle Hour.”
An October 16, 1920 Moving Picture World item mentions a C. H. Barron who owned “…the only two theaters in Augusta, Kan….” By that date, one of those theaters would have been the Isis and the other would have been the Idle Hour. Then the December 10, 1921 issue of Moving Picture World mentioned “Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Barron, who formerly operated the Isis and Mecca theatres in Augusta, Kas….” I’d say that’s a pretty strong indication that the Idle Hour became the Mecca, probably sometime during Mr. Barron’s ownership.