Comments from SethG

Showing 1 - 25 of 2,247 comments

SethG
SethG commented about Regent Theatre on Feb 28, 2026 at 5:26 pm

The address seems to be 7 on the 1929 map. The 1912 map shows the building as a furniture store with a lodge hall on the 3rd floor. It was likely quite old, possibly 1860s or ‘70s.

SethG
SethG commented about West Theatre on Feb 27, 2026 at 7:37 pm

The capacity began at 325, but by 1936 it was listed at 450, and by 1951 it had increased again to 500.

SethG
SethG commented about West Theatre on Feb 27, 2026 at 7:34 pm

Not demolished, or not completely. The top floor of the building, which was constructed sometime between 1903 and 1914, was removed at some point, but the ground floor is very obviously the same. It is now a brewery and pizzeria.

SethG
SethG commented about Murdock Theatre on Feb 27, 2026 at 4:50 pm

As was pointed out long ago, the name is wrong. The architects for the auditorium addition were Overend, Boucher, and Schmidt. Nothing the least bit Spanish about it. The exterior is a very plain art deco, and the interior is rather old fashioned in comparison. Looks like your typical 1920s school or municipal auditorium. Seating is also wrong. As of the 2006 NRHP nomination, it was 700, with 250 of that being in the balcony. The last activity on their FB page is from 2018.

SethG
SethG commented about Southern Theater on Feb 27, 2026 at 11:37 am

Butchered into a horrendous stucco box, used as the VFW.

SethG
SethG commented about Corral Theatre on Feb 27, 2026 at 10:47 am

The building itself was a three story stone front constructed in 1887.

SethG
SethG commented about Corral Theatre on Feb 27, 2026 at 10:36 am

Apparently, most of the listing is wrong. The Novelty is listed through 1956 with 300 seats. I don’t know when, or even if, it became the Corral. The site is now a parking lot, and the building was probably demolished sometime in the ‘60s or '70s.

SethG
SethG commented about Corral Theatre on Feb 27, 2026 at 9:58 am

As has been pointed out, the reference to the Yale is wrong. That was a different theater.

SethG
SethG commented about Regent Theatre on Feb 26, 2026 at 11:36 pm

The capacity is impossibly huge for such a narrow building.

This theater likely closed after the fire. It’s not listed in the 1926 Yearbook. The 1935 map shows the building as a restaurant, and it was a store in 1950. It’s hard to tell how old the parking garage on the site today is. Maybe 1960s or ‘70s?

SethG
SethG commented about Regent Theatre on Feb 26, 2026 at 9:54 pm

Bitting Block in the foreground, built 1912.

SethG
SethG commented about Kelly Theatre on Feb 26, 2026 at 3:54 pm

Seems at least partially rebuilt on the 2024 streetview, but the car also went down the alley, and you can see it’s still an empty shell with no rear wall.

SethG
SethG commented about Moorcones Theatre on Feb 17, 2026 at 9:01 am

Both of the pictures are upside down.

SethG
SethG commented about Cozy Theatre on Feb 10, 2026 at 11:16 am

Address may have been 105. If so, this is still here. The KHRI entry says this section of the bank is a 1965 remodel of the old theater building. It does not appear on the 1908 map, but apparently does appear on the 1925 map, which is not available online. The theater is still listed in the 1956 Yearbook.

SethG
SethG commented about Ruby Theater on Feb 5, 2026 at 9:09 am

There were some other segregated rooming houses, etc. in this area. Thanks for the ID!

SethG
SethG commented about Theater on Feb 5, 2026 at 9:07 am

There is at least one later map which would help to clarify this, but it’s not available online.

SethG
SethG commented about Picture Show on Feb 4, 2026 at 5:21 pm

I’ll make a listing for this one. Please re-contribute the picture to that listing.

SethG
SethG commented about Sun Theater on Feb 4, 2026 at 5:16 pm

I suspect the dates are wrong. The theater is shown on the 1936 map. It was a conversion of a small storefront built sometime between 1899 and 1909. The 1922 map shows the post office there. I think it opened in 1935 or 1936 as the Oriental. It was likely just renamed in 1946. It had 250 seats through at least 1949.

SethG
SethG commented about Picture Show on Feb 4, 2026 at 4:59 pm

Nearly this entire listing is wrong. The north side of the square is between 9th and 10th. The correct address was something like 916. In addition, the information about the fire is false. The building was already gone. The 1922 map shows the theater in a two story building, the third from the corner. By 1926, it seems to have closed. The 1936 map shows a store there. The older streetviews show a run-down bar in a one story building at this location. The 2012 streetview shows all the buildings still there. Three buildings are missing from the 2023 streetview. The photo of the Auditorium is unrelated, and should be removed.

SethG
SethG commented about Cozy Theatre on Feb 4, 2026 at 4:37 pm

Listed in the 1926 Yearbook with 450 seats. If this address is correct, then this has been demolished. There’s a 1960s (?) bank on the east half of that block.

SethG
SethG commented about Ellinwood Theatre on Feb 4, 2026 at 8:36 am

The address is wrong. This was on the east side of the street. The last building on that block has a 113 address, so it was probably something like 117 or 121 at most.

The building was constructed in 1910-11 by the Knights of Columbus, and was a very plain, boxy building with a peaked roof giving a hint of Georgian/Colonial architecture. The 1914-15 AMPD lists a Peoples Theatre. That could be this building, if it was showing films at this point. The early Yearbooks (through 1935 at least) list the Ellinwood with only 200 seats, which is either a mistake, or indicates either a balcony closure or perhaps movies shown elsewhere. 1940 shows it with 400 seats.

SethG
SethG commented about Strand Theatre on Jan 28, 2026 at 7:49 pm

I wonder if the remodel didn’t take a while. The November 1922 map shows this as a store.

SethG
SethG commented about Fox Theatre on Jan 26, 2026 at 5:34 pm

Very sparse entry. The original 1930-31 theater was only two stories high. The second floor in the front was used as warehouse space and an upholstering workshop by the Wiley department store which the theater is attached to by the section over the passage. The top two stories were added 1946-47 by the store to provide more storage space. The KHRI entry has some pictures of this here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=155-2660-00179 Oddly, the 1950 Sanborn fails to note the two additional stories.

SethG
SethG commented about Flag Theatre on Jan 25, 2026 at 6:27 pm

Really cheap and depressing dryvit 1980s mall food court facade. I can’t believe they trashed it like that. Looked nice until the ‘90s, then they painted all the colorful ornamentation black, and by 2007, they destroyed the front.

SethG
SethG commented about Maya Theatre on Jan 25, 2026 at 5:33 pm

The random picture of the Chief needs to be removed.

SethG
SethG commented about Cooper Theatre on Jan 25, 2026 at 5:32 pm

This is really awful and blurry. What is the source image?