Leon SCIT Theatre
208 N. Main Street,
Leon,
IA
50144
208 N. Main Street,
Leon,
IA
50144
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Opened on October 3, 1911.
Found an old postcard showing a theater here before the Idle Hour shown in the photos. The original theater was in a two story brick storefront constructed sometime before 1886. The 1907 map shows a hardware store/tin shop there. That theater would have occupied the northern half of the lot that the current theater occupies. In the initial configuration, the shopfront was intact, and there are movie posters propped in the display windows. There was a simple vertical sign reading ‘Theatre’.
The confusing part is saying where the Idle Hour was. The buildings at 206 and 208 were very different in design. Looking at the photos, it appears that the Idle Hour may have been in 206, the southern building of the pair, although it’s possible that the two buildings had similar iron columns.
I think the Idle Hour was probably replaced by the current building. The iron column on the left side matches with the old photo, but this building appears to be wider.
The 1914-15 AMPD lists the Idle Hour and Electric. The 1926 Yearbook lists only a 250 seat Strand. There was apparently also a New somewhere in town. The 1924 map should be available on the LoC site, but they haven’t scanned it. The previous map is from 1907, and is no help, although it shows a second floor opera house (Van Werden’s) which might have been the Electric and or New. That building was on the SW corner of Main and 1st (previously Commercial). It’s long gone.
Website: https://scittheatre.square.site/ The latest streetview shows the marquee gone.
Correct phone#. 641-446-7444. According to their Facebook page, this place is called the Leon SCIT Theatre.