Lincoln Theatre

6923 14th Avenue,
Kenosha, WI 53143

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Standard Theaters Management Corp.

Functions: Church

Styles: Neo-Classical

Previous Names: New Lincoln Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 262.653.9981
Manager: 262.653.9981

Nearby Theaters

LINCOLN Theatre, Kenosha WI in about 1948. The vertical-sign letters were of milk-glass and were back-lighted.

This modest neighborhood theatre was built by G. A. Stella and opened as the New Lincoln Theatre on May 28, 1921 with Dorothy Phillips in “The Heart of Humanity”. It had a small pipe organ. In 1922 it was leased to Charles Collins for one year, after which G. A. Stella resumed management for one year. Stella sold the Lincoln Theatre in 1924 to Charles Kerchma who operated it until 1929, when it closed. On November 7, 1932 it reopened under Hugo Vogel’s leadership; he operated it until May, 1935 when it was sold to Charles Secord (who managed) and Eugene Sturzenegger. The Lincoln Theatre had a small but attractive vertical sign of backlighted milk-glass letters.

In its final years it was an art-film and repertory house, playing “Black Narcissus”. One of its final programs was the Kroger Babb exploitation feature “Prince of Peace”. After closure in April 1952 it was donated to the Lakeshore Tabernacle, which stuccoed the Lincoln’s facade and removed the theatre signage, and then in turn donated the building to another small church when it could afford a bigger sanctuary. The current church, the Ultimate Trumpet, has been worshiping there for twenty years.

Contributed by Louis Rugani

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois
Ret. AKC (NAC) CCC Bob Jensen, Manteno, Illinois on February 14, 2008 at 1:30 pm

A 2 Manual Barton Pipe Organ made in Oshkosh, Wisconsin was installed in this theater. It is not know what happened to the organ??

“Gee Dad, it "WAS” a Barton!"

LouisRugani
LouisRugani on June 12, 2010 at 5:53 pm

The LINCOLN opened at 6:30 PM on May 28, 1921, not as indicated above in an erroneous article from a local daily newspaper. The opening-night feature photoplay was “The Heart of Humanity” starring Dorothy Phillips. The LINCOLN was equipped with a pair of Simplex projectors and a new Fotoplayer instrument that could, it was claimed, reproduce the sounds of a piano, a reed organ and a pipe organ, and was said to cost $10,000. The Chicago Statuary Company furnished ornamental plaster wall medallions and a lobby statue. (They’re gone now.) Eugene Fonte decorated the theatre and W. I. Brenner Electric furnished and installed the lighting fixtures. At first the LINCOLN’s format was a new program every day. “The Great Redeemer” was the next feature to play there.

LouRugani
LouRugani on February 7, 2014 at 6:56 pm

April 19, 1952: Purchase of the former Lincoln Theater, 6923 14th Ave., by the Lake Shore Tabernacle was announced by the Rev. O.F. Broker.

LouRugani
LouRugani on January 21, 2022 at 8:05 pm

(November 2, 1932) - Reopen Lincoln Theater Friday - Management of Butterfly Takes Over Second Theater

The Lincoln theater on Fourteenth Avenue, redecorated and remodeled, will be opened Friday, Nov, 7 by Samuel Levinsohn and Harry Vogel who recently took over the Butterfly theater. Sound equipment has been installed in the Lincoln which was previously used for silent pictures and has been closed for some time.

Acoustical Treatment

The walls of the theater interior have been treated with acoustical padding such as is used in a large number of modern theaters and numerous other improvements have been made. The Lincoln will be run on the same policy as the Butterfly. There will be double feature programs changing four times a week. E. D. Harris is the manager.

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