Plainfield Theatre

107 S. Main Street,
Plainfield, WI 54966

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Additional Info

Functions: Housing

Previous Names: Woodman Opera House, Opera House, News Theatre, Strand Theatre

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Plainfield Theatre

Located in Plainfield, WI, home of notorious serial murderer and grave robber Ed Gein (The Butcher of Plainfield), who’s dastardly deeds were adapted into and formed the basis of the movies “Pyscho”, “Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “Silence of the Lambs”. The Opera House was opened around 1902 on the west side of S. Main Street, just to the south of North Street. By 1926 it had been renamed News Theatre. Around 1930 it was renamed Strand Theatre. Around 1937 it was renamed Plainfield Theatre.

The Plainfield Theatre was still open in 1957. The building vacant stands in 2017.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

Predator
Predator on June 12, 2017 at 10:38 am

The Plainfield Opera House was built around 1902. It is located at 107 South Main Street.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on June 13, 2017 at 12:51 pm

The Plainfield Opera House (also known in its early years as the Woodman Opera House) has not been converted to housing. The ground floor theater space was last occupied by a bar which closed in 2006, and the upstairs appears to have been vacant at least as long.

Last year the building was threatened with demolition, but the Plainfield Village Board entered an agreement last fall with the building’s owner since 2011, Matt Makaryk, who plans a multi-year renovation project to convert the theater to an event center and the upper floor to living quarters for himself and his family. The roof must be replaced and the damaged back wall repaired by November of this year or the village will probably order demolition.

This article from the Stevens Point Journal of May 9 this year includes video and a slide show revealing how badly decayed much of the building is. About the only remaining trace of the Opera House’s time as a movie theater appears to be the old projection booth.

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