Palace Theatre
126 E. Washington Boulevard,
Fort Wayne,
IN
46802
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: RKO
Architects: Cornelius Ward Rapp, George W. Leslie Rapp
Firms: Rapp & Rapp
Previous Names: New Palace Theatre, RKO Palace Theatre, Civic Playhouse Theatre
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Opened on January 25, 1915 as the Palace Theatre. In 1930 it was taken over by RKO who closed it in 1931. On December 24, 1933 it reopened, still retaining the Palace Theatre name. It was renamed the Civic Playhouse Theatre in 1965. The building was later demolished.
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
Here are two photos of the Palace/Civic:
http://tinyurl.com/2hb3zh
http://tinyurl.com/2bucuf
I think this was designed by Rapp & Rapp. The facade is remarkably similar to the facade of the Orpheum Theatre in Champaign, Illinois which was built in 1914. The Chicago Historical Society references a Rapp & Rapp design in 1914 for a theatre in Fort Wayne for Stouder and Barnett.
I have just read newspaper articles from the Fort Wayne News from 1914 and 1915 and can verify that this was indeed a Rapp & Rapp design. Hopefully Ken can modify the architect listing at the top of this page so that this important early Rapp & Rapp design gets recognized. The theatre opened on January 25, 1915 as the New Palace Theatre. I hope to type up and post the newspaper listings here.
According to the Fort Wayne City Directories (Polk), the building was listed as Civic Theatre as early as 1958.
A 1917 volume called The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne Indiana, by Joseph Griswold, has a paragraph about the Palace Theatre as part of a brief biography of Frank E. Stouder:
In partnership with Byron H. Barnett, Frank Stouder had earlier operated two other Fort Wayne houses; the Temple Theatre, beginning in 1894, and the Lyric Theatre, beginning in 1910. Stouder and Barnett disposed of their interests in both houses in 1915, to concentrate on operating the Palace.W.C. Quimby took over the Palace in 1923, as noted in this item from the September 15 issue of Exhibitors Herald:
Clyde Quimby had some sort of deal with RKO. The 1933 Fort Wayne directory lists this house as the RKO Palace Theatre.“On April 23, 1957, the curtain is about to fall on the Palace Theater, at the corner of Clinton Street and Washington Boulevard. The building’s owners have announced it will be razed to make room for a parking lot. The second-oldest theater in the city, it cost $200,000 to build and seated 1,700. It was dedicated Jan. 25, 1915, and at the time was devoted exclusively to vaudeville, then in its heyday.” – Dan Vance, writing for the News-Sentinel, 04-23-2018
Grand opening ad posted.
RKO takes over the Palace, Jefferson and Emboyd theatres in 1930 and closes the Palace theatre in 1931. It reopened on December 24th, 1933. Grand opening ad posted.