Majestic Theatre

I lived in Peoria from 1942 and the Majestic was not showing any movies in my time. I think there were occasional special live performances there before it became the WMBD-TV studios in the early ‘50’s. Bill Adams, who wrote many reminiscence columns for the Peoria Journal Star in the '80’s & '90’s is the person to contact about the history of theaters in Peoria (he managed the leading theater, the Madison, for many years). He could be contacted thru the newspaper.

One of ten founding members of the Orpheus Club, Henry M. Standmeyer built a venue for live music and plays called the Majestic Theatre opening on December 21, 1906 with Hap Ward in “Not Yet… But Soon.” Peoria brewer E.C. Leisy took it over keeping it live and owned the new-build Orpheum, as well. Between live dates, Leisy programmed some film content. One of the first shows was on May 19, 1913 with a five films for a penny each: “A Woman Loved,” “The Adventures of Captain Hatteras,” “The Greater Love” and two comedy shorts. But the venue was never a dedicated movie house.

This was punctuated when the Maj was not wired for sound. As live events became more challenging in the era of sound films, the Majestic scuffled. Wrestling and boxing matches were staged there. It was turned over to the WPA which staged live Federal Theatre plays there during the Depression to keep actors and technical staff gainfully employed. Publix Great States Theatres acquired the lease of both the Orpheum and Majestic and they basically acquired the Majestic to prevent others from opening a movie theater there. They sublet it to WMDB which took it over in 1947 for live radio shows and then the television studios coming next as WMDB had signed on August 1, 1948. WMBD ran their 30-year leasing agreement downtown from 1947 to 1977. (This was fairly common for early TV/radio combos from smaller to the largest of media markets.)

In June of 1977, the WMBD studios moved to new digs and the former Majestic space was essentially torn out and made into open space. The studio/theatrical space was gutted for an open air attribute for the Jefferson Building turned Jefferson Center in a $2 million facelift. (Looking at the photos, it is fair that that is the theater’s demolition date despite much of the building’s main elements remaining.) But if there was any question about the building’s status, that was made clear in 1998. The entire Jefferson Building / Center structure was razed for One Technology Center, an Internet/Telecom era project. That project was a modern parking, retail and technology center for the 21st Century.