Property Record
116 S KNOWLES AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | GEM THEATRE |
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| Other Name: | OLD GEM THEATER |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 47441 |
| Location (Address): | 116 S KNOWLES AVE |
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| County: | St. Croix |
| City: | New Richmond |
| Township/Village: | |
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| Year Built: | 1913 |
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| Additions: | 1920 1960 1980 |
| Survey Date: | 19832018 |
| Historic Use: | theater |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | J.A. Shannon |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | New Richmond Commercial Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 12/22/2022 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 5/20/2022 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | W.S. Shannon opened the first movie theater in New Richmond in 1910. Three years later he closed the non-extant theater and constructed the new Gem Electric Theatre, located at 116 S. Knowles Avenue. The theater building had 350 to 400 seats and included a lobby and rear dressing rooms. The Commercial Vernacular style building cost $4,500 to construct and was designed by architect Joseph A. Shannon. The theater was sold to A. H. Lynch, a traveling salesman, in 1915 and promoted silent films with piano accompaniment. William Jennings Bryan gave a speech in the theater during the early 1920s. The national Heywood Amusement Company bought the theater and managed it from 1927 on, introducing sound the same year and remodeling both the interior and exterior of the building. The Gem Theatre was remodeled again in 1935 and was the first theater in St. Croix County to introduce Stereophonic sound in 1957. John F. Kennedy spoke in the theater one week before the Democratic Wisconsin Primary in 1960. The Gen Theatre closed in 1988, was remodeled the following year, and reopened briefly. In 1990, the building was purchased by John and Judy Hackbarth as the Stagedoor Players Dramatic Arts Center for use as a live theater. This 2 story building has a flat roof and a brick 2nd story. The 1st story is metal with paired doors of wood and glass. There are 2 paired windows and a round window (with brick also laid in a circle around it) in the second story. Window sills are brick. The cornice of the building is brick and thre is vertical patterened brick here. Brick forms pilasters at buildings side. Because of alterations this building has lost much of its integrity and is not architecturally significant. The theater has been at this site since between 1913-1917. Between 1900-1913 the first movie theater on S. Knowles (Main) had been located South of its present site at 134 S. Knowles. Talkies were here in 1929. A 1917 photo shows the same top and windows bu the 1st story is plate glass with one center double door. There was brick where metal panels rae now. The brick pilasters extended to the ground. A 1957 photo has a marquee that sticks out enough for people to sit on. After the cyclone no building was here until this one. Between 1887 and 1899 part of this was an alley and part a building. (Agriculture Implements and grocery store c.1887 and Agricultural Implement store and post office 1892). It was a frame building with brick veneer then. This building has no historical significance being associated with neither import people or events or the city's development. |
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| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |