Comments from SethG

Showing 176 - 200 of 1,411 comments

SethG
SethG commented about Dreamland Theatre on Sep 27, 2023 at 2:43 pm

There were two Dreamlands, the second became the Palace. From 1909 to 1915, the Dreamland was at 530 Main. This was the southern half of an old brick two-story commercial building constructed sometime before 1884. Starting in 1916, the Dreamland moved to 506 Main, a three-story stone fronted brick commercial building on the corner with 5th St, likewise constructed before 1884. The Sanborn map from February 1909 shows 530 as a store, and 506 as a saloon.

Both buildings remain on the 1950 map, but the entire block has been destroyed for a cheap and depressing box containing offices. This listing should be split. As it is, the address used was never the Palace.

SethG
SethG commented about State Theatre on Sep 27, 2023 at 10:48 am

Address is wrong. It should be 978. The building dated to the mid-1890s, and had been home to various department stores prior to the remodel.

SethG
SethG commented about Avon Theatre on Sep 27, 2023 at 10:35 am

This theater cannot have been built in 1908, as the February 1909 Sanborn still shows the older buildings. If it didn’t open until September 1909, a 1908 construction date doesn’t make much sense.

SethG
SethG commented about Cinema X on Sep 26, 2023 at 9:51 am

Still listed in the 1985-1993 directories. The building dates to around 1870, and this portion is now a business phone/internet service.

SethG
SethG commented about White Palace Nickelodeon on Sep 23, 2023 at 6:50 pm

There is no such thing as S Market, and this has not been demolished. The building is obviously very old, and predates the theater by at least a decade. Correct address should be 102 E Market.

SethG
SethG commented about Taylorville Cinema on Sep 23, 2023 at 6:45 pm

Still need to correct ‘Frisnia’ to Frisina in the description and AKA.

SethG
SethG commented about Ritz Theatre on Sep 21, 2023 at 9:39 pm

Quite obviously not the right building.

SethG
SethG commented about Capitol Theatre on Sep 21, 2023 at 10:25 am

Note that the 1950 map shows a different address. Dubuque went through an absurd amount of street renaming/renumbering on the north side. The early address would have been 2181 Couler Ave, which became Central. It was originally at the corner with W Eagle Point Ave, which became 22nd St. Further out, 23rd (1891) became 27th (1909), and then 26th (1950). It makes it incredibly difficult to track buildings on the maps.

SethG
SethG commented about Capitol Theatre on Sep 20, 2023 at 7:19 pm

The original building seems to have existed before 1884. It had been expanded somewhat by 1891, and was a drug store prior to conversion. The auditorium appears to have been in a long single story addition to the rear. I’ve added a rather messy view from what appears to be a 1950 revision to the 1909 map. No idea why there is such a long gap in coverage.

SethG
SethG commented about Elkader Cinema on Sep 7, 2023 at 10:45 pm

Joe, I’ve added both the Crystal and Rivola. I agree the Majestic may well have been the opera house, but it’s unclear. There’s no mention of movies in any of the histories, but the old NRHP listing for the building says it was used as a theater until 1947. Could very well have been live theater only. I don’t see any other obvious choices on the 1913 map.

SethG
SethG commented about Iowa Theatre on Sep 5, 2023 at 10:19 pm

Located on the east side of the Wise Block, which was built between 1913 and 1920. 1920 map shows the theater, so it was at least open by that August if not earlier.

SethG
SethG commented about Castle Theatre on Aug 31, 2023 at 11:52 am

The Pythian Castle this theater is located in seems to be a remodel of an older building. The original structure was built between 1894 and 1899. The 1913 map is the first to show a hall on the 2nd floor, which may have been the K of P. By 1921, it had been extended in the rear to its current footprint.

The facade doesn’t really look like a building from the mid-30s (especially with its original, long gone crenelation), but it likely doesn’t date from the 1890s, either. I’d guess it may have been applied when the K of P moved in (if they weren’t always there, which is a bit unclear), perhaps around 1910.

By chance, I actually photographed this the weekend of the reopening. Was unable to make it, or not interested in the movie. I can’t remember.

SethG
SethG commented about Princess Theatre on Aug 31, 2023 at 7:49 am

The 1914 theater must have then been the Elite. Whether it became the Princess, I can’t say. There are two later maps, but they are not online, except perhaps on Iowa State’s website, which you need a login for.

SethG
SethG commented about Lyric Theatre on Aug 31, 2023 at 7:46 am

It’s really frustrating. Even larger towns have one pass through on the US highway, and no side streets. Seems to be a pretty large area of NE Iowa.

SethG
SethG commented about Plaza Theatre on Aug 30, 2023 at 2:07 pm

Current use is an appliance dealer, and the sentence about the Castle should be removed as irrelevant and outdated. The first sentence is also incorrect, there was at least one other.

SethG
SethG commented about Plaza Theatre on Aug 30, 2023 at 2:05 pm

Dates are wrong. This theater first appears on the Feb. 1913 Sanborn. The building was an old commercial structure from before 1886. The 1905 map shows a clothing store there.

Between 1913 and 1921, it was nearly doubled in depth, and you can see a seam in the brick on the north wall where this was done. The addition included a lot of windows and a doorway, so it’s unlikely the auditorium was enlarged.

SethG
SethG commented about Princess Theatre on Aug 28, 2023 at 9:44 pm

Quite obviously did not have a red brick facade, and the window trim is obviously light brick. Needs to be changed to demolished.

SethG
SethG commented about Princess Theatre on Aug 27, 2023 at 7:20 pm

This may have been the theater at 702 S River Park Dr. It’s the only theater shown on the 1914 map, and it’s in the ground floor of a very old (1850s?) three-story stone commercial building, which seems to now be apartments, if the blurry mess on streetview is to be believed. It’s a very strange location, way off to one edge of downtown. The 1902 Sanborn shows it as the Wiest & Class general store.

SethG
SethG commented about Iris Theatre on Aug 25, 2023 at 12:52 pm

Building is now a beauty salon. Streetview has very poor coverage, but if you look from Lawler north of the intersection, you can see it fairly well.

SethG
SethG commented about Royal Theatre on Aug 25, 2023 at 11:05 am

Cozy almost certainly wasn’t the opera house. It was open until 1918, but must never have showed movies.

SethG
SethG commented about Royal Theatre on Aug 25, 2023 at 6:58 am

I am pretty sure that it was. There is an opera house, and I’ve asked Ken for more information about that.

SethG
SethG commented about Avalon Theatre on Aug 23, 2023 at 7:42 pm

The building was built in 1884, and was a dry goods store for many years. It’s shown as vacant on the 1913 map. It was apparently damaged when the old masonic lodge next door (then the restaurant) burned down sometime before 2015.

SethG
SethG commented about Gem Theatre on Aug 23, 2023 at 4:31 pm

The city demolished the sad remains in late November 2022. It apparently was damaged in the tornado of 1968.

SethG
SethG commented about Avalon Theatre on Aug 23, 2023 at 4:18 pm

Can’t believe I walked right past this and decided not to bother!

SethG
SethG commented about Gem Theatre on Aug 22, 2023 at 5:54 pm

Probably accounts for a lot of the ugly buildings and empty lots, but the town was pretty sad when i was there in 2009.