Proper address for the Lido is 124 S Lebanon. This theater was located in the Tyre Building, which was an extensive 1915 remodel of a pre-1887 building. Originally, it was a shallow (about half the depth of the lot) two-story building with a wide central retail space flanked by two narrower ones. On the 1909 map, the southern storefront is a ‘5 cent theatre’. Sometime after or concurrent with the remodel, the theater took over the central space, and a large auditorium was added. This is slightly lower than the original structure, and slopes down to be one story tall at the rear. The original name was the Olympic, and it became the Lido in the ‘30s.
The Colonial appears on the 1919 Sanborn. At this point, the front of the theater is a 2-story brick building, with the auditorium behind being slightly lower. The entrance address is 218, while 216 is a music store that takes up the southern half of the front. On the 1909 map, this lot is home to a boarding house.
I’m not sure where the Rural Loan Assoc. building was. There were several banks in the area around the square. Searching for it did turn up this great full-page ad for a 1917 show at the Colonial: https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=LDR19171020.1.5 It’s clear that at least up to 1917, the theater was also presenting vaudeville.
Appears on the 1902 map as Pittinger Grand Opera House. That name seems to be a misspelling. Address was 128. Originally, there were three storefronts (sharing the address of 124) with the entrance on the north end. A wooden awning extends the length of the building.
The original structure may have been a conversion of a large brick building that occupied nearly an identical footprint. It appears on the 1886 map as a skating rink, and was then a fruit drying warehouse and a box factory. It was only one story.
On the 1924 map, it is still shown as a opera house, with stage and scenery. A dressing room section has been added on the rear of the south side, and the awning has disappeared (sometime after 1916). The stage was very deep, and the balcony was a large horseshoe. The address for the entrance is now 132.
If it did indeed adjoin the Globe, then the address was either 213-215 (which would have been new construction replacing a house), or 207, which would have been a conversion of a furniture store. 215 has been again replaced by an ugly little office building, while 207 still exists under a hideous slipcover.
As you can see from the postcard, the theater was a huge auditorium at the rear of the Colonial Block, which contained the Colonial Inn and various other businesses. The stage was on the south wall, and there was a very large horseshoe balcony.
The correct address would have been 702-708 S Pittsburgh. The entrance itself does not have an address on the 1914 map. This large complex was rather oddly placed well south of downtown. It seems to have been demolished by the ‘60s, and is mostly a parking lot for a small grocery, which occupies about ¼ of the original footprint.
The Arcade’s original address was 160 W Main St, later changed to 156. At some point after 1914, the street name was changed. The theater first appears on the 1908 map, but the building was constructed sometime before 1886. It was originally a three story brick house and store, not very deep, with a small 2-story extension to the rear. By 1908, it had been much modified, and most of the front section had become the entrance, with a small confectionery in the eastern third. The extension to the rear had been merged into these two spaces.
The original auditorium was a long and narrow wooden single story structure with tin cladding. The stage was at the rear. ‘Continuous Performance’ is noted on the 1908 map, but it is not clear whether this is vaudeville or movies. By 1914, the auditorium is shown as partially brick construction, and the stage is now more substantially built. The structure is now extended all the way to the alley in the rear, removing several small wooden sheds. The entrance has been narrowed slightly to allow a tiny shoeshine stand to occupy the western edge.
Judging by the modern eyesore that occupies the lot, the structures were likely demolished in the late ‘60s to early '70s.
I don’t think the statement about it opening smaller is correct. It’s huge on the 1908 map. The auditorium was well back of the street, connected to the front (which also had a bank and a store) by a short corridor. It’s shown as three stories tall. Perhaps the remodel removed one story from the front section? I doubt they completely rebuilt the auditorium.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Apr 17, 2020 at 9:58 pm
It absolutely was a movie theater. I have no idea what the prior occupancy has to do with whether it could have been or not.
It appears that odds and evens switched sides at some point. The 1910 map has the old numbers in parentheses. Even so, in 1910 the current 62 was a grocery store just the other side of the alley in the middle of the block. The old 62 was a bank way down by the railroad tracks. Of course, with the 1921 map being useless, I can’t see what 62 was then, but it’s a store in 1949, and I suspect that never changed.
Address was 5 S Main. The theater appears on the 1910 map. In 1901, the space was a saloon. The building is an old three-story commercial building. It appears on the 1885 map as an Odd Fellows lodge. Although it appears to be part of the building on the corner, it is built with a different type of brick. It is now home to a store.
The 1930 Sanborn map shows it as movies. I doubt it was ever a live theater. It’s actually not very big. It’s not even as deep as the neighboring building.
Correct address was 114. The Sanborn maps refer to it as the Greenville Opera House, as far back as 1887. The 1905 Cahn guide does call it Trainor’s Opera House. The Odd Fellows hall was originally on the second floor, with the theater on the third, but between 1905 and 1910 they switched places.
As is so often the case, ‘destroyed’ apparently didn’t actually mean destroyed. I think the auditorium must have been damaged, because the 1930 map shows the building now slightly deeper, and it seems that the third floor has been removed over the auditorium. By 1948, the small storefronts that had been there since construction have been removed, leaving a large and spacious lobby.
Either the addresses have changed, or 512 is not the right number. 512 is now the building on the corner, which is obviously not the same. Must have been 516 or higher, where the empty lot is.
Address is wrong. The odd side of the block is the courthouse. Correct address was 124. The theater appears on the 1914 map on the western half of the ground floor of a three store lodge hall. This entire portion of the block, all the way to the corner, is now home to a very cloddish modern hulk.
The theater appears on the Mar. 1940 Sanborn. The building appears on the 1895 map. It was used as a restaurant, and by 1907 was combined with the neighboring buildings to form a hotel, which it still is on the 1926 map. The current occupant is a jewelry store.
Proper address for the Lido is 124 S Lebanon. This theater was located in the Tyre Building, which was an extensive 1915 remodel of a pre-1887 building. Originally, it was a shallow (about half the depth of the lot) two-story building with a wide central retail space flanked by two narrower ones. On the 1909 map, the southern storefront is a ‘5 cent theatre’. Sometime after or concurrent with the remodel, the theater took over the central space, and a large auditorium was added. This is slightly lower than the original structure, and slopes down to be one story tall at the rear. The original name was the Olympic, and it became the Lido in the ‘30s.
The Colonial appears on the 1919 Sanborn. At this point, the front of the theater is a 2-story brick building, with the auditorium behind being slightly lower. The entrance address is 218, while 216 is a music store that takes up the southern half of the front. On the 1909 map, this lot is home to a boarding house.
I’m not sure where the Rural Loan Assoc. building was. There were several banks in the area around the square. Searching for it did turn up this great full-page ad for a 1917 show at the Colonial: https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=LDR19171020.1.5 It’s clear that at least up to 1917, the theater was also presenting vaudeville.
According to the history, this theater opened in 1948. It was built by Albert Smith and Alpha Hisey.
Appears on the 1902 map as Pittinger Grand Opera House. That name seems to be a misspelling. Address was 128. Originally, there were three storefronts (sharing the address of 124) with the entrance on the north end. A wooden awning extends the length of the building.
The original structure may have been a conversion of a large brick building that occupied nearly an identical footprint. It appears on the 1886 map as a skating rink, and was then a fruit drying warehouse and a box factory. It was only one story.
On the 1924 map, it is still shown as a opera house, with stage and scenery. A dressing room section has been added on the rear of the south side, and the awning has disappeared (sometime after 1916). The stage was very deep, and the balcony was a large horseshoe. The address for the entrance is now 132.
I’m sure, given the damages, and the size and age of the buildings concerned, that they were completely destroyed.
Seating capacity would really only have worked for a new building.
If it did indeed adjoin the Globe, then the address was either 213-215 (which would have been new construction replacing a house), or 207, which would have been a conversion of a furniture store. 215 has been again replaced by an ugly little office building, while 207 still exists under a hideous slipcover.
630 is well out of downtown. There are three blocks of houses before you get to the 600 block. I wonder if the address is correct.
As you can see from the postcard, the theater was a huge auditorium at the rear of the Colonial Block, which contained the Colonial Inn and various other businesses. The stage was on the south wall, and there was a very large horseshoe balcony.
The correct address would have been 702-708 S Pittsburgh. The entrance itself does not have an address on the 1914 map. This large complex was rather oddly placed well south of downtown. It seems to have been demolished by the ‘60s, and is mostly a parking lot for a small grocery, which occupies about ¼ of the original footprint.
The Arcade’s original address was 160 W Main St, later changed to 156. At some point after 1914, the street name was changed. The theater first appears on the 1908 map, but the building was constructed sometime before 1886. It was originally a three story brick house and store, not very deep, with a small 2-story extension to the rear. By 1908, it had been much modified, and most of the front section had become the entrance, with a small confectionery in the eastern third. The extension to the rear had been merged into these two spaces.
The original auditorium was a long and narrow wooden single story structure with tin cladding. The stage was at the rear. ‘Continuous Performance’ is noted on the 1908 map, but it is not clear whether this is vaudeville or movies. By 1914, the auditorium is shown as partially brick construction, and the stage is now more substantially built. The structure is now extended all the way to the alley in the rear, removing several small wooden sheds. The entrance has been narrowed slightly to allow a tiny shoeshine stand to occupy the western edge.
Judging by the modern eyesore that occupies the lot, the structures were likely demolished in the late ‘60s to early '70s.
I don’t think the statement about it opening smaller is correct. It’s huge on the 1908 map. The auditorium was well back of the street, connected to the front (which also had a bank and a store) by a short corridor. It’s shown as three stories tall. Perhaps the remodel removed one story from the front section? I doubt they completely rebuilt the auditorium.
It absolutely was a movie theater. I have no idea what the prior occupancy has to do with whether it could have been or not.
I seriously doubt there was ever a theater on Adams St. It’s well out of downtown, and residential.
It appears that odds and evens switched sides at some point. The 1910 map has the old numbers in parentheses. Even so, in 1910 the current 62 was a grocery store just the other side of the alley in the middle of the block. The old 62 was a bank way down by the railroad tracks. Of course, with the 1921 map being useless, I can’t see what 62 was then, but it’s a store in 1949, and I suspect that never changed.
Address was 5 S Main. The theater appears on the 1910 map. In 1901, the space was a saloon. The building is an old three-story commercial building. It appears on the 1885 map as an Odd Fellows lodge. Although it appears to be part of the building on the corner, it is built with a different type of brick. It is now home to a store.
Construction date on the front is 1920, although the March 1920 map shows the house on the lot.
The 1930 Sanborn map shows it as movies. I doubt it was ever a live theater. It’s actually not very big. It’s not even as deep as the neighboring building.
Correct address was 114. The Sanborn maps refer to it as the Greenville Opera House, as far back as 1887. The 1905 Cahn guide does call it Trainor’s Opera House. The Odd Fellows hall was originally on the second floor, with the theater on the third, but between 1905 and 1910 they switched places.
As is so often the case, ‘destroyed’ apparently didn’t actually mean destroyed. I think the auditorium must have been damaged, because the 1930 map shows the building now slightly deeper, and it seems that the third floor has been removed over the auditorium. By 1948, the small storefronts that had been there since construction have been removed, leaving a large and spacious lobby.
Thanks for putting a name to it, Joe!
Either the addresses have changed, or 512 is not the right number. 512 is now the building on the corner, which is obviously not the same. Must have been 516 or higher, where the empty lot is.
Address is wrong. The odd side of the block is the courthouse. Correct address was 124. The theater appears on the 1914 map on the western half of the ground floor of a three store lodge hall. This entire portion of the block, all the way to the corner, is now home to a very cloddish modern hulk.
The theater appears on the Mar. 1940 Sanborn. The building appears on the 1895 map. It was used as a restaurant, and by 1907 was combined with the neighboring buildings to form a hotel, which it still is on the 1926 map. The current occupant is a jewelry store.
Should be listed as demolished.
Correct address is 8100 The Paseo.
I’m pretty sure it was. But I still don’t see how they operated with the same name until the other became the Strand around 1920.