Madrid Theatre

115 N. Mishawaka Street,
Akron, IN 46910

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 15, 2025 at 7:36 pm

This is from a list of historic businesses in Akron: “Swastika Theatre. Located in 1919, at 110 W. Rochester St., next to hardware. Theatre owned by Clarence Erb and Horace LaRue, who sold it in 1919 to Karl B. Gast, who moved it to the E side of Mishawaka St., middle of first block N of Rochester St., and renamed it Argonne Theatre. During the thirties, name was changed to Madrid Theatre. Closed in 1957. Furniture store opened same location in 1959.”

A thumbnail biography of Karl Gast published in 1923 described the Argonne Theatre as “…one of the most commodious moving picture theaters in the county, with a seating capacity for 315 people.” The Argonne was the only theater listed at Akron in the 1926 FDY.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on December 6, 2019 at 2:40 pm

Link of Indiana theatres by county, that indicates it was previously named Swastika Theatre.

https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/files/theatersurvey.pdf