Definitely Nottowa, Blackstone is in Nottoway County. The Nottowa first appears in the 1931 Yearbook, with 285 seats. Beginning in 1940, the capacity is listed as 499. Sometime between 1946 and 1951, it increases again. There must have been a relocation or expansion. Hopefully someone can provide an actual address.
The theater does appear on a 1943(?) correction to the 1933 map. It was originally not as deep, and the southern retail section does not appear. I’ve added that map view. Also note that there are two copies of the cover photo, one should be deleted.
This listing is very vague, and most of it is wrong. There is no such thing as N Church. Backstreet Antiques was apparently located at 1971 Church. The theater seems to have been in the portion of the building which now has a 1977 address. It has not been demolished, and clearly does not date from the early 1900s. The Lee does not appear in Yearbooks until 1936, and was still open in 1956. The theater portion is now one of those shady fake women’s clinics.
This is now a boutique. Very plain brick box, and not very large. Still listed in the 1956 Yearbook. It does not show up until the 1941 Yearbook, when it is listed as the ‘Brockneal’ (surely a typo), with no capacity.
I first saw this in 2005-6, and it was abandoned. Still looks almost the same, but it is being worked on! The doors were open on Tuesday, and someone was working inside. I chickened out on going in.
This should also have the American AKA. I was going to create a new entry for that theater, but the rear structure, a rough stone hall with a tin roof, must be the same. The American Theater opened August 9, 1920. It was originally located at 114. The facade was a very plain one story building, quite tall, and originally included a garage located on the lot to the south (this seems to have been demolished). The theater appears to have had a recessed entry. It looks like the front 6-8' of the building was replaced, and the auditorium remodeled. The KHRI entry here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=019-152 has lots of photos and some old ads.
Uses FB as their website. May be temporarily closed. Last showtimes are from late 2025. https://www.facebook.com/GreggTheater
SethG
commented about
Aer Domeon
Apr 7, 2026 at 7:40 am
Good find. Please add it. Howard is really sad. A lot of downtown is gone, and it looks like two more buildings are about to be demolished. Such a huge theater in a very small town doesn’t make much sense, but it lasted a long time.
If this was the theater intended to be constructed in 1923, then the correct address was 401 N Main. The 1917 map shows a lumber yard on that corner, and the ugly bank here today might be from about 1980. If this was indeed the Regent, then my listing has the wrong name. I don’t have access to any Sanborn after 1917, but there were at least two. If anyone can access them, we can be more sure.
SethG
commented about
Theateron
Apr 4, 2026 at 3:49 pm
Possibly the Crescent, Gem, or Electric, if this lasted long enough to be listed in the 1914-15 AMPD.
I think the older Regent listing is in error. This is apparently still shown as a theater on the 1947 Sanborn, which I do not have access to. The other possibility is that this theater was somehow never listed. The KHRI entry for this building has several historic photos, but you can’t make out a name in any of them. The elaborate cornice on top was removed by about 1950.
This corner was vacant in 1912. I’ve added a 1917 Sanborn view, which is definitely the same buildings as shown in the photo, with the Safeway having moved into the dealership. The Spanish style facades might be from a 1920s-‘30s remodel. The Sanborn map shows tin fronts on both.
Still listed as the Grand (no opera house designation) in 1926. It appears as the New Regent (no indication there was any ‘old’ Regent) in 1927, possibly closed, with no capacity. Still listed with no capacity in 1929, it becomes simply the Regent in 1930.
This has not been demolished. It has an ugly remodel, but the original stone construction is still evident. It is a co-working space. The building was constructed sometime between 1899 and 1905, and was originally a clothing store. The theater was operating by February 1912.
The supposed prior location of the Novelty is impossible. The northernmost avenue is 4th, and there has never been a North or South Main. 245, if it had ever existed, would be in the middle of the park at the north end of town.
This is an incredibly lazy listing. If the address is correct, this has been demolished. This theater first appears in the 1941 Yearbook as the ‘Zile’ (likely an error, which persists at least through 1946). From the initial capacity of of 337 it seems this was a renaming of the Ritz, which first appears in 1936. After 1942, but by 1946, the capacity increases to 568. There was likely an extensive remodel. The theater is still listed in the 1956 Yearbook. The site today is a gas station. The original structure may have been constructed between 1899 and 1905 as a dance hall/skating rink/bowling alley. By 1918, it had become a dealership.
This building was constructed sometime between 1899 and 1905 as a skating rink, replacing a wooden livery on this site. It was then a wholesale grocery on the 1912 map. The theater does not appear in the 1914-15 AMPD. The Spanish facade probably dates from the theater conversion. The KHRI entry suggests it may have been a Boller Brothers project.
By the way, the website is AI slop with fake reviews. It is not official. Apparently the whole domain of edan.io is stuff like this.
They use FB: https://www.facebook.com/WellingtonRegentTheater/ Even that page refers to an ‘official’ site which appears to be a fake full of malware! They probably abandoned it to save money.
Supposing the address is accurate, this has been demolished, and is the parking lot for an ugly bank.
Definitely Nottowa, Blackstone is in Nottoway County. The Nottowa first appears in the 1931 Yearbook, with 285 seats. Beginning in 1940, the capacity is listed as 499. Sometime between 1946 and 1951, it increases again. There must have been a relocation or expansion. Hopefully someone can provide an actual address.
Note that one map calls it ‘Electric Theatre’, but it’s unclear whether that’s a name or designation.
Thanks for the history!
Note that this appears to have been called The Lyric rather than Lyric Theater/re.
Must have been demolished sometime between 2011 and 2021. I hadn’t recalled correctly when I photographed this.
The theater does appear on a 1943(?) correction to the 1933 map. It was originally not as deep, and the southern retail section does not appear. I’ve added that map view. Also note that there are two copies of the cover photo, one should be deleted.
This listing is very vague, and most of it is wrong. There is no such thing as N Church. Backstreet Antiques was apparently located at 1971 Church. The theater seems to have been in the portion of the building which now has a 1977 address. It has not been demolished, and clearly does not date from the early 1900s. The Lee does not appear in Yearbooks until 1936, and was still open in 1956. The theater portion is now one of those shady fake women’s clinics.
This is now a boutique. Very plain brick box, and not very large. Still listed in the 1956 Yearbook. It does not show up until the 1941 Yearbook, when it is listed as the ‘Brockneal’ (surely a typo), with no capacity.
I first saw this in 2005-6, and it was abandoned. Still looks almost the same, but it is being worked on! The doors were open on Tuesday, and someone was working inside. I chickened out on going in.
This should also have the American AKA. I was going to create a new entry for that theater, but the rear structure, a rough stone hall with a tin roof, must be the same. The American Theater opened August 9, 1920. It was originally located at 114. The facade was a very plain one story building, quite tall, and originally included a garage located on the lot to the south (this seems to have been demolished). The theater appears to have had a recessed entry. It looks like the front 6-8' of the building was replaced, and the auditorium remodeled. The KHRI entry here: https://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?in=019-152 has lots of photos and some old ads.
Uses FB as their website. May be temporarily closed. Last showtimes are from late 2025. https://www.facebook.com/GreggTheater
Good find. Please add it. Howard is really sad. A lot of downtown is gone, and it looks like two more buildings are about to be demolished. Such a huge theater in a very small town doesn’t make much sense, but it lasted a long time.
If this was the theater intended to be constructed in 1923, then the correct address was 401 N Main. The 1917 map shows a lumber yard on that corner, and the ugly bank here today might be from about 1980. If this was indeed the Regent, then my listing has the wrong name. I don’t have access to any Sanborn after 1917, but there were at least two. If anyone can access them, we can be more sure.
Possibly the Crescent, Gem, or Electric, if this lasted long enough to be listed in the 1914-15 AMPD.
I think the older Regent listing is in error. This is apparently still shown as a theater on the 1947 Sanborn, which I do not have access to. The other possibility is that this theater was somehow never listed. The KHRI entry for this building has several historic photos, but you can’t make out a name in any of them. The elaborate cornice on top was removed by about 1950.
This corner was vacant in 1912. I’ve added a 1917 Sanborn view, which is definitely the same buildings as shown in the photo, with the Safeway having moved into the dealership. The Spanish style facades might be from a 1920s-‘30s remodel. The Sanborn map shows tin fronts on both.
Still listed as the Grand (no opera house designation) in 1926. It appears as the New Regent (no indication there was any ‘old’ Regent) in 1927, possibly closed, with no capacity. Still listed with no capacity in 1929, it becomes simply the Regent in 1930.
The duplicate cover photo should be deleted. The un-captioned copy is better quality.
This has not been demolished. It has an ugly remodel, but the original stone construction is still evident. It is a co-working space. The building was constructed sometime between 1899 and 1905, and was originally a clothing store. The theater was operating by February 1912.
The supposed prior location of the Novelty is impossible. The northernmost avenue is 4th, and there has never been a North or South Main. 245, if it had ever existed, would be in the middle of the park at the north end of town.
This is an incredibly lazy listing. If the address is correct, this has been demolished. This theater first appears in the 1941 Yearbook as the ‘Zile’ (likely an error, which persists at least through 1946). From the initial capacity of of 337 it seems this was a renaming of the Ritz, which first appears in 1936. After 1942, but by 1946, the capacity increases to 568. There was likely an extensive remodel. The theater is still listed in the 1956 Yearbook. The site today is a gas station. The original structure may have been constructed between 1899 and 1905 as a dance hall/skating rink/bowling alley. By 1918, it had become a dealership.
Thanks for clarifying the history! I got most of it from your older comment on the Regent, and forgot to acknowledge you in the text.
For what it’s worth, this building was a harness shop until it was converted, which involved adding a one story extension at the rear.
This building was constructed sometime between 1899 and 1905 as a skating rink, replacing a wooden livery on this site. It was then a wholesale grocery on the 1912 map. The theater does not appear in the 1914-15 AMPD. The Spanish facade probably dates from the theater conversion. The KHRI entry suggests it may have been a Boller Brothers project.
By the way, the website is AI slop with fake reviews. It is not official. Apparently the whole domain of edan.io is stuff like this.
They use FB: https://www.facebook.com/WellingtonRegentTheater/ Even that page refers to an ‘official’ site which appears to be a fake full of malware! They probably abandoned it to save money.