On July 30, 1915, the Mayor of Elkhart forbade the playing of the Eastland newsreel in which 844 people were killed while docked at the Clark Street Bridge just six days prior. Family Theatre Manager Peter Sarantos felt that amounted to censorship and played the film.
On August 4, 1915, Elkhart Mayor F.E. Smith found Sarantos guilty but - instead of permanently removing his license to operate the theater - gave him a ten day suspension provided that he didn’t violate a future order by His Honor. Theaters in Goshen and Chicago were not allowed permission to show the same film. The issue was that the rapidness of the newsreel’s production commercially exploited the grief of those impacted.
Carrol’s Development opens its 80th screen in an outparcel just outside the 1972-launched Concord Mall on March 16, 1973 with “The World’s Greatest Athlete” and “The Train Robbers”
“Lethal Weapon” is playing on May 31, 1987 and the title was prophetic as the theater’s manager admitted to gunning down William P. Miller - CEO of Miller Theaters - inside the theater… a tragic nightmare on Main Street. And the police tape closed the theater for the day. (Miller’s wife would sell the chain to GKC Theatres in 1990.)
The first theater to open in the 1889-built Puterbaugh Block was the Bijou Theatre. Advertised as located in the building’s “North Side” (303 South Main St.), the Bijou opened March 16, 1907 with a sloping floor and opera chairs. As an early nickelodeon, it played movies and illustrated songs for five cents admission. This likely meant that it had only one projector with song slides as filler between the short one reel films. On June 12, 1911, new operator George W. Slick took on the venue as the Billiken Theatre. Its last advertised show was on December 2, 1911. It would reopen a month later under a new name, likely using both sides of the Puterbaugh Block’s main floor.
The Del-Van Theatre Adult Film Club closed on August 27, 1983 with a double feature of “Deep Throat” and “Debbie Does Dallas, Part II” - a classy exit.
Opened August 8, 1940 with “That’s Right – You’re Wrong.”
Miller Theaters reduced the State to a second-run, discount $1.50 theater; it closed May 26, 1988 with “Salsa.” The State was ostensibly replaced by the three-screen, Miller’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres
Opened on July 1, 1988 as Miller Theater’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres with “Willow,” “The Great Outdoors,” and “Big Business.” It was considered stage 1 of a larger build out and had 745 total seats. GKC purchased the venue in July 1990 and they finished Stage 2 relaunching as the Encore Park Cinemas on October 25, 1991 now with 1,143 seats. On August 14, 2004, GKC then finished Stage 3 with the theatre hitting a megaplex-era appropriate 14 auditoriums.
In 2005, Carmike bought the GKC branded locations and this one became the Carmike Encore Park 14. In 2016, AMC purchased Carmike Theatres. AMC briefly ran it under the AMC Elkhart 14 moniker until its corporate office announced a new branding of the inherited Kerasotes, Starplex and Carmike venues - ones most not likely getting upgrades - as AMC Classic locations. Here, the ‘plex became the AMC Classic Elkhart 14 in February of 2017.
The AMC Classic Elkhart 14 closed along with virtually all hardtop theaters on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on August 30, 2020. Stages Four and Five of the venue’s lifecycle were completed when AMC closed here with a lump of coal on December 18, 2023. After an auction in 2024 that raised very little capital, stage 5 was completed in February of 2025 with the theater’s demolition.
This entry serves two different buildings. There were two Orpheums in downtown Elkhart and then the Cinema 1 replaced the second Orph. The first was in a converted retail building operating from 1910 into 1913. The second was architected by Freyermuth & Maurer in South Bend and it was built for vaudeville. It was a new-build facility with previous 19th Century retail structures razed to make space. George J. Hoffman hired C.J. Allardt of South Bend. The Elks Lodge got to host and stage the first event on November 20, 1913.
Programming took a turn toward film though the vaudeville signage etched into its front would remain until demolition. A Seeburg-Smith 2 manual organ was installed and dedicated on July 4, 1920 replacing the venue’s original organ with Frederick Eugene Karch at the console. The venue On August 22, 1930, Warner Bros. Theatre Circuit of New York took on the Lerner, Orph and Bucklen in Elkhart and the Jefferson and Lincoln in Goshen. That likely carried a new 20 year lease. Under a new ownership arrangement, it was given a major refresh in 1934.
At halfway point of its probably lease - Summer of 1940 - the Orpheum got its most significance, major interior and exterior streamline moderne makeover that it pretty much carried until 1969. The venue was converted to widescreen to play VistaVision titles in 1955 and, later, CinemaScope titles with Hi-Fi audio. Miller Theatres decided to close the Orpheum Theatre on February 1, 1969 and demolish it in favor of a new adult-only theater. This would mean mature themed, R-rated films and X-Rated titles.
The new Cinema I was ready to go on July 23, 1969 with many era-acceptable elements - including gaudy Maria Theresa chandeliers, moving feature attractor on the exterior, leopard skin carpeting, an Italian-themed fountain, and lots Palos Verdes stone. GKC took on the venue closing it in 1991.
Warner Brothers of New York Circuit took on the Bucklen Theatre in 1930 on a new, 25-year leasing agreement. It closed it soon thereafter for a major refresh. It reopened February 8, 1931 with “The Right of Way.” It closed at end of lease after showtimes on August 13, 1955 with “Short Grass” and “China Sky.” It was closed for remodeling and became home for department chain, the Boston Store.
The Lincoln Theatre opened in 1920 and its formative years were under Gavin Blair McElroy of Fitzpatrick and McElroy Circuit. Oscar Hansen took on the venue in 1926 unable to convert it sound later that decade. He sold it and the Jefferson to Warner Bros. Theatres of New York in 1930.
The Circuit put all of its refresh money to the Jefferson closing the Lincoln and dropping the lease. Floyd and Archie Robinson closed their nearby Circle Theatre and reopened the Lincoln on October 1, 1933. A year later Universal sued the Robinsons who transferred the operation to Jack Rose in 1934.
The venue appears to have received a new 20-year lease in 1940 along with a major streamline moderne makeover. The venue closed in the television era. The building was torn down in the Fall of 1969 in favor of parking.
The Illini Theatre opened on March 10, 1924. The Illini converted to sound. It was given a major renovation under its third operator in 1930 becoming the Sterling Theatre before burning down in July of 1943. A new-build Sterling Theatre on the same lot proved to be a winner staying in business into the 21st Century.
George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks operated the Grand Theatre across the street in the venerable Galt & Tracy Block that housed the Academy of Music . The Grand had opened in 1914 and became undersized for its needs. Meanwhile, the Academy of Music was flagging as live event venues in small-sized towns and medium-sized cities had been under financial pressure since World War I. Additionally, second floor opera houses were in quick descent as their safety was often questionable at best. A ground floor option combining live events and film was decided upon.
In 1923, Greenough and Weeks built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 10, 1924 right across the street from their baby Grand and behind the Greyhound Bus terminal. The Illini Theatre replaced John Hoppler and Son’s Oakland Automobile Agency (which scooted over to 414 Locust and, in 1926, added the GM lower-cost Pontiac to the Oakland line). The Illini would also share its entry with the Greyhound Bus depot. Local organist Mary Celeste Ward was at the console of the venue’s $12,000 Bartola pipe organ on the March 10, 1924 opening show. (The organ was said to have been produced for Barton by the Wangerin Organ Company in Milwaukee.)
Three months after launching the Illini, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. Max and Herman Louis Gumbiner’s Gumbiner Bros. Enterprises, a Chicago-based theatre circuit, took on the Illini effective January 1, 1926. On October 30, 1929, Vitaphone was in and organist Nova Morehouse was let go.
In 1930, the Illini Theatre got a major refresh and was renamed the Sterling Theatre and was under the auspices of Lucas Circuit (Sterling Theatre Company) which also operated the Lincoln Theatre. The Sterling relaunch occurred on October 9, 1930 with “Follow Thru” supported by vaudeville. The Circuit decided to reinstitute live organ music and searched for a player. They hired Mary Celeste Ward, the original organist who - after a brief radio organist job in radio at Iowa City’s WSUI - returned on October 11, 1930 and played virtually every night at the Sterling Theatre thereafter including June 1, 1942’s film line-up before dying on her way home after that show. The original Sterling Theatre was destroyed a year later by fire on July 9, 1943 in what appears in photos to be a projection booth explosion.
The Sterling’s operators, J.C. Kantos and Franklin Ford, got permission from the War Production Board on December 15, 1943 to rebuild in the same spot. The pair signed Dixon-based architect John R. McClane and he delivered a new 1,020 seat New Sterling Theatre. The streamline moderne house launched on September 28, 1944 and had a very successful run into the 21st Century.
The Belvidere-Marengo or Bel-Mar Drive-In completed its 20-year leasing agreement on October 21, 1973 and went out in style with a triple-feature: “Crypt of the Living Dead” and “Fearless Fighter” supported by “Hercules & The Captive Women.” (And, yes, it was still open in 1957 if that was in question.)
Hate to be a contrarian but there was no Academy Theatre in Sterling’s history. Robert T. LaGrille opened the Grand Theatre in the Galt & Tracy block in 1914 at 314 Locust to show moving pictures. Final operators of the Grand were George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks. In 1923, they built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 1O, 1924 right across the street. (It would be renamed the Sterling Theatre in 1930 and has its own Cinema Treasure listing.) Three months later, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. The space was used as a produce stand. In 1929 and 1930, the space was gutted and floor leveled for retail purposes.
The upper floor Academy of Music had opened on December 4, 1878 with a traveling concert by the Marie Roze-Mapleson (she the singer and he the director). The first films were shown there in 1897, the first fire caused by the films was in 1898 with a 1901 fire almost destroying the building. In the silent era, larger “road show” movies were shown in the upper floor Opera House and advertised as occurring at the Academy of Music including D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” and “Intolerance.” Second-floor opera houses were in steep decline due to safety concerns and the lack of a need for opera houses as their profitability had waned during World War I in smaller cities and towns.
The Academy of Music’s opera house space on the second floor was converted to a Dance Hall opening December 9, 1925 effectively ending the Academy as it was created. Events at the hall were advertised as transpiring at the Academy of Music until its final event in 1931. Sears moved in in 1940. The third floor space not captured by the Dance Hall or the Sears retail store that followed apparently remains or remained into the 21st Century. The lettering of the Academy was removed by Sears and restored decades later.
The theatre was closed to correct fire safety issues. While making those repairs, it burned down May 17, 1925 ending its run. Its final show was April 20, 1925 with Reginald Denny.
Totally guessing here but the town definitely had the Mt. Carroll Opera House built in the late 19th Century and switching almost completely full-time to movies. Since the venue obviously wasn’t built for films or having a much-needed fireproof projection booth, it was replaced.
So the town had the Majestic Theatre and it had the Carroll Theatre. Based on the reportage, it looks like the Mt. Carroll Opera House played films into 1920. A new Mt. Carroll Theatre space was created for the silent era and marketed as the Mt. Carroll Theatre in 1920 but becoming the sound-era Majestic Theatre in 1930.
The Marchesi Bros. upgraded the venue to sound on film in 1939 and likely gave it a streamline refresh in the same building in 1940 becoming the Carroll Theatre. The Carroll Theatre closed suddenly on May 11, 1960 at the end of a second, 20-year leasing agreement. The final film was “Suddenly Last Summer.” The venue was then converted that summer for bowling alley-centric purposes.
Harry A. Prawat of South Bend, Indiana, launched the Roxy Theatre in 1934. Butterfield Circuit, which had formerly entered into a JOA with Sturgis' dominant New Strand Theatre (though undoubtedly bankrolling its construction and conversion to sound), purchased the Roxy in November of 1935 from Prawat to end the competition. Butterfield could use it fulltime or part-time in overflow and peak periods.
Butterfield appears to have operated the Roxy to its closure at the expiry of a 20-year leasing agreement in 1954. Competition from television and the creation of a competing, seasonal drive-in ended any thoughts of a leasing renewal.
You can leave the Bryan Krefft contribution as is above. A deeper dive appears to show this address was the former site of Newman’s Theatre - likely the Crystal. But the original site of the Strand was over at the J.F. Walton-built, multi-use building opening on November 25, 1915. Monier & Grubb opened the original Strand Theatre which launched with vaudeville on Thanksgiving and seated 600 in the Walton Block.
In 1919, the Strand was taken over by Carl C. Newman of Newman’s Theatre undoubtedly the Crystal prior. He had come from Charlotte, Michigan’s Arcade Theatre owned by Charlotte Newman until her death shortly after childbirth in 1917. Newman operated what became Newman’s Theatre as well as the Strand with the Strand switching to full-time movies. As the Strand was reaching the expiry of its 10-year lease, the movie house had proved to be a major hit.
Newman decided to demolish the 1912-built, 333-seat venue. With plans drawn up by architect Ernest S. Batterson, it would become the site of the larger, 1,000-seat New Strand Theatre. Contractor Frank L. Shoemaker delivered the venue on time. Newman added sound to remain viable. The former Strand location at the Walton Block became a long-running JC Penney Store. There were formal discussions with Butterfield in 1925 likely explaining how Newman had the vision and wherewithal to make such a bold play.
The New Strand would add sound to remain viable - again likely with Butterfield bankrolling the cost of the effort. Newman finally announced a formal JOA with Butterfield Theatrical Syndicate at the 10-year mark in 1935 with Butterfield Circuit soon taking it over and dropping “New” from its moniker.
Butterfield switched the Strand to widescreen projection to remain viable. They would move on from the venue but the Strand proved to be a mainstay operating for 100 years in this location and 110 combining its previous iteration. The Strand closed on December 31, 2025 with “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” and Anaconda. It was listed for sale on a realtor’s website.
That appears to be a cleaner timeline though leaves a few gaps, as well.
On July 30, 1915, the Mayor of Elkhart forbade the playing of the Eastland newsreel in which 844 people were killed while docked at the Clark Street Bridge just six days prior. Family Theatre Manager Peter Sarantos felt that amounted to censorship and played the film.
On August 4, 1915, Elkhart Mayor F.E. Smith found Sarantos guilty but - instead of permanently removing his license to operate the theater - gave him a ten day suspension provided that he didn’t violate a future order by His Honor. Theaters in Goshen and Chicago were not allowed permission to show the same film. The issue was that the rapidness of the newsreel’s production commercially exploited the grief of those impacted.
Demolished February 2025
Carrol’s Development opens its 80th screen in an outparcel just outside the 1972-launched Concord Mall on March 16, 1973 with “The World’s Greatest Athlete” and “The Train Robbers”
“Lethal Weapon” is playing on May 31, 1987 and the title was prophetic as the theater’s manager admitted to gunning down William P. Miller - CEO of Miller Theaters - inside the theater… a tragic nightmare on Main Street. And the police tape closed the theater for the day. (Miller’s wife would sell the chain to GKC Theatres in 1990.)
Correction: Opening paragraph should be:
The first theater to open in the 1889-built Puterbaugh Block was the Bijou Theatre. Advertised as located in the building’s “North Side” (303 South Main St.), the Bijou opened March 16, 1907 with a sloping floor and opera chairs. As an early nickelodeon, it played movies and illustrated songs for five cents admission. This likely meant that it had only one projector with song slides as filler between the short one reel films. On June 12, 1911, new operator George W. Slick took on the venue as the Billiken Theatre. Its last advertised show was on December 2, 1911. It would reopen a month later under a new name, likely using both sides of the Puterbaugh Block’s main floor.
The Del-Van Theatre Adult Film Club closed on August 27, 1983 with a double feature of “Deep Throat” and “Debbie Does Dallas, Part II” - a classy exit.
Opened August 8, 1940 with “That’s Right – You’re Wrong.”
Miller Theaters reduced the State to a second-run, discount $1.50 theater; it closed May 26, 1988 with “Salsa.” The State was ostensibly replaced by the three-screen, Miller’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres
Opened on July 1, 1988 as Miller Theater’s Encore Park 1, 2 & 3 Theatres with “Willow,” “The Great Outdoors,” and “Big Business.” It was considered stage 1 of a larger build out and had 745 total seats. GKC purchased the venue in July 1990 and they finished Stage 2 relaunching as the Encore Park Cinemas on October 25, 1991 now with 1,143 seats. On August 14, 2004, GKC then finished Stage 3 with the theatre hitting a megaplex-era appropriate 14 auditoriums.
In 2005, Carmike bought the GKC branded locations and this one became the Carmike Encore Park 14. In 2016, AMC purchased Carmike Theatres. AMC briefly ran it under the AMC Elkhart 14 moniker until its corporate office announced a new branding of the inherited Kerasotes, Starplex and Carmike venues - ones most not likely getting upgrades - as AMC Classic locations. Here, the ‘plex became the AMC Classic Elkhart 14 in February of 2017.
The AMC Classic Elkhart 14 closed along with virtually all hardtop theaters on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on August 30, 2020. Stages Four and Five of the venue’s lifecycle were completed when AMC closed here with a lump of coal on December 18, 2023. After an auction in 2024 that raised very little capital, stage 5 was completed in February of 2025 with the theater’s demolition.
Became the Holiday 1 & 2 Theatre on December 27, 1985.
Announced closing date as February 28, 2026
Demolition fence drew protests in February 2026. Definitely closed.
This entry serves two different buildings. There were two Orpheums in downtown Elkhart and then the Cinema 1 replaced the second Orph. The first was in a converted retail building operating from 1910 into 1913. The second was architected by Freyermuth & Maurer in South Bend and it was built for vaudeville. It was a new-build facility with previous 19th Century retail structures razed to make space. George J. Hoffman hired C.J. Allardt of South Bend. The Elks Lodge got to host and stage the first event on November 20, 1913.
Programming took a turn toward film though the vaudeville signage etched into its front would remain until demolition. A Seeburg-Smith 2 manual organ was installed and dedicated on July 4, 1920 replacing the venue’s original organ with Frederick Eugene Karch at the console. The venue On August 22, 1930, Warner Bros. Theatre Circuit of New York took on the Lerner, Orph and Bucklen in Elkhart and the Jefferson and Lincoln in Goshen. That likely carried a new 20 year lease. Under a new ownership arrangement, it was given a major refresh in 1934.
At halfway point of its probably lease - Summer of 1940 - the Orpheum got its most significance, major interior and exterior streamline moderne makeover that it pretty much carried until 1969. The venue was converted to widescreen to play VistaVision titles in 1955 and, later, CinemaScope titles with Hi-Fi audio. Miller Theatres decided to close the Orpheum Theatre on February 1, 1969 and demolish it in favor of a new adult-only theater. This would mean mature themed, R-rated films and X-Rated titles.
The new Cinema I was ready to go on July 23, 1969 with many era-acceptable elements - including gaudy Maria Theresa chandeliers, moving feature attractor on the exterior, leopard skin carpeting, an Italian-themed fountain, and lots Palos Verdes stone. GKC took on the venue closing it in 1991.
Warner Brothers of New York Circuit took on the Bucklen Theatre in 1930 on a new, 25-year leasing agreement. It closed it soon thereafter for a major refresh. It reopened February 8, 1931 with “The Right of Way.” It closed at end of lease after showtimes on August 13, 1955 with “Short Grass” and “China Sky.” It was closed for remodeling and became home for department chain, the Boston Store.
Grand opening on December 19, 1997. Maybe ahead of its time, the FEC was dropped less than three years later.
The Lincoln Theatre opened in 1920 and its formative years were under Gavin Blair McElroy of Fitzpatrick and McElroy Circuit. Oscar Hansen took on the venue in 1926 unable to convert it sound later that decade. He sold it and the Jefferson to Warner Bros. Theatres of New York in 1930.
The Circuit put all of its refresh money to the Jefferson closing the Lincoln and dropping the lease. Floyd and Archie Robinson closed their nearby Circle Theatre and reopened the Lincoln on October 1, 1933. A year later Universal sued the Robinsons who transferred the operation to Jack Rose in 1934.
The venue appears to have received a new 20-year lease in 1940 along with a major streamline moderne makeover. The venue closed in the television era. The building was torn down in the Fall of 1969 in favor of parking.
The Illini Theatre opened on March 10, 1924. The Illini converted to sound. It was given a major renovation under its third operator in 1930 becoming the Sterling Theatre before burning down in July of 1943. A new-build Sterling Theatre on the same lot proved to be a winner staying in business into the 21st Century.
George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks operated the Grand Theatre across the street in the venerable Galt & Tracy Block that housed the Academy of Music . The Grand had opened in 1914 and became undersized for its needs. Meanwhile, the Academy of Music was flagging as live event venues in small-sized towns and medium-sized cities had been under financial pressure since World War I. Additionally, second floor opera houses were in quick descent as their safety was often questionable at best. A ground floor option combining live events and film was decided upon.
In 1923, Greenough and Weeks built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 10, 1924 right across the street from their baby Grand and behind the Greyhound Bus terminal. The Illini Theatre replaced John Hoppler and Son’s Oakland Automobile Agency (which scooted over to 414 Locust and, in 1926, added the GM lower-cost Pontiac to the Oakland line). The Illini would also share its entry with the Greyhound Bus depot. Local organist Mary Celeste Ward was at the console of the venue’s $12,000 Bartola pipe organ on the March 10, 1924 opening show. (The organ was said to have been produced for Barton by the Wangerin Organ Company in Milwaukee.)
Three months after launching the Illini, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. Max and Herman Louis Gumbiner’s Gumbiner Bros. Enterprises, a Chicago-based theatre circuit, took on the Illini effective January 1, 1926. On October 30, 1929, Vitaphone was in and organist Nova Morehouse was let go.
In 1930, the Illini Theatre got a major refresh and was renamed the Sterling Theatre and was under the auspices of Lucas Circuit (Sterling Theatre Company) which also operated the Lincoln Theatre. The Sterling relaunch occurred on October 9, 1930 with “Follow Thru” supported by vaudeville. The Circuit decided to reinstitute live organ music and searched for a player. They hired Mary Celeste Ward, the original organist who - after a brief radio organist job in radio at Iowa City’s WSUI - returned on October 11, 1930 and played virtually every night at the Sterling Theatre thereafter including June 1, 1942’s film line-up before dying on her way home after that show. The original Sterling Theatre was destroyed a year later by fire on July 9, 1943 in what appears in photos to be a projection booth explosion.
The Sterling’s operators, J.C. Kantos and Franklin Ford, got permission from the War Production Board on December 15, 1943 to rebuild in the same spot. The pair signed Dixon-based architect John R. McClane and he delivered a new 1,020 seat New Sterling Theatre. The streamline moderne house launched on September 28, 1944 and had a very successful run into the 21st Century.
The Belvidere-Marengo or Bel-Mar Drive-In completed its 20-year leasing agreement on October 21, 1973 and went out in style with a triple-feature: “Crypt of the Living Dead” and “Fearless Fighter” supported by “Hercules & The Captive Women.” (And, yes, it was still open in 1957 if that was in question.)
Hate to be a contrarian but there was no Academy Theatre in Sterling’s history. Robert T. LaGrille opened the Grand Theatre in the Galt & Tracy block in 1914 at 314 Locust to show moving pictures. Final operators of the Grand were George L. Greenough and W.A. Weeks. In 1923, they built a mammoth 1,000 seat venue called the Illini Theatre launching March 1O, 1924 right across the street. (It would be renamed the Sterling Theatre in 1930 and has its own Cinema Treasure listing.) Three months later, the Grand suffered a projection fire on June 16, 1924 and did not appear to reopen. The space was used as a produce stand. In 1929 and 1930, the space was gutted and floor leveled for retail purposes.
The upper floor Academy of Music had opened on December 4, 1878 with a traveling concert by the Marie Roze-Mapleson (she the singer and he the director). The first films were shown there in 1897, the first fire caused by the films was in 1898 with a 1901 fire almost destroying the building. In the silent era, larger “road show” movies were shown in the upper floor Opera House and advertised as occurring at the Academy of Music including D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” and “Intolerance.” Second-floor opera houses were in steep decline due to safety concerns and the lack of a need for opera houses as their profitability had waned during World War I in smaller cities and towns.
The Academy of Music’s opera house space on the second floor was converted to a Dance Hall opening December 9, 1925 effectively ending the Academy as it was created. Events at the hall were advertised as transpiring at the Academy of Music until its final event in 1931. Sears moved in in 1940. The third floor space not captured by the Dance Hall or the Sears retail store that followed apparently remains or remained into the 21st Century. The lettering of the Academy was removed by Sears and restored decades later.
The theatre was closed to correct fire safety issues. While making those repairs, it burned down May 17, 1925 ending its run. Its final show was April 20, 1925 with Reginald Denny.
Reached the end of its 25-year leasing agreement announcing closure of April 23, 2026.
Changeover from Lyric to Polo on August 14, 1924 along with “a new coat of paint” according to reports.
Totally guessing here but the town definitely had the Mt. Carroll Opera House built in the late 19th Century and switching almost completely full-time to movies. Since the venue obviously wasn’t built for films or having a much-needed fireproof projection booth, it was replaced.
So the town had the Majestic Theatre and it had the Carroll Theatre. Based on the reportage, it looks like the Mt. Carroll Opera House played films into 1920. A new Mt. Carroll Theatre space was created for the silent era and marketed as the Mt. Carroll Theatre in 1920 but becoming the sound-era Majestic Theatre in 1930.
The Marchesi Bros. upgraded the venue to sound on film in 1939 and likely gave it a streamline refresh in the same building in 1940 becoming the Carroll Theatre. The Carroll Theatre closed suddenly on May 11, 1960 at the end of a second, 20-year leasing agreement. The final film was “Suddenly Last Summer.” The venue was then converted that summer for bowling alley-centric purposes.
aka W.B. Drive-In and W-B Drive-In
Harry A. Prawat of South Bend, Indiana, launched the Roxy Theatre in 1934. Butterfield Circuit, which had formerly entered into a JOA with Sturgis' dominant New Strand Theatre (though undoubtedly bankrolling its construction and conversion to sound), purchased the Roxy in November of 1935 from Prawat to end the competition. Butterfield could use it fulltime or part-time in overflow and peak periods.
Butterfield appears to have operated the Roxy to its closure at the expiry of a 20-year leasing agreement in 1954. Competition from television and the creation of a competing, seasonal drive-in ended any thoughts of a leasing renewal.
You can leave the Bryan Krefft contribution as is above. A deeper dive appears to show this address was the former site of Newman’s Theatre - likely the Crystal. But the original site of the Strand was over at the J.F. Walton-built, multi-use building opening on November 25, 1915. Monier & Grubb opened the original Strand Theatre which launched with vaudeville on Thanksgiving and seated 600 in the Walton Block.
In 1919, the Strand was taken over by Carl C. Newman of Newman’s Theatre undoubtedly the Crystal prior. He had come from Charlotte, Michigan’s Arcade Theatre owned by Charlotte Newman until her death shortly after childbirth in 1917. Newman operated what became Newman’s Theatre as well as the Strand with the Strand switching to full-time movies. As the Strand was reaching the expiry of its 10-year lease, the movie house had proved to be a major hit.
Newman decided to demolish the 1912-built, 333-seat venue. With plans drawn up by architect Ernest S. Batterson, it would become the site of the larger, 1,000-seat New Strand Theatre. Contractor Frank L. Shoemaker delivered the venue on time. Newman added sound to remain viable. The former Strand location at the Walton Block became a long-running JC Penney Store. There were formal discussions with Butterfield in 1925 likely explaining how Newman had the vision and wherewithal to make such a bold play.
The New Strand would add sound to remain viable - again likely with Butterfield bankrolling the cost of the effort. Newman finally announced a formal JOA with Butterfield Theatrical Syndicate at the 10-year mark in 1935 with Butterfield Circuit soon taking it over and dropping “New” from its moniker.
Butterfield switched the Strand to widescreen projection to remain viable. They would move on from the venue but the Strand proved to be a mainstay operating for 100 years in this location and 110 combining its previous iteration. The Strand closed on December 31, 2025 with “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants,” and Anaconda. It was listed for sale on a realtor’s website.
That appears to be a cleaner timeline though leaves a few gaps, as well.