Pythian Temple and James Pythian Theater - Columbus, OH - Knights of Pythias on Waymarking.com

"The Pythian Temple and James Pythian Theater is an historic Knights of Pythias building built 1925 in the Colonial Revival style of architecture at 861-867 (now simply 867) Mt. Vernon Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. Also known as the York Rite Masonic Temple, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1983.

Since March 1987 it has been the King Arts Complex, named in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

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"The Pythian Temple and James Pythian Theater is a four-story, brick and concrete structure, rectangular in plan, with an asymmetrically-arranged, eclectic facade, reminiscent of the Colonial Revival style. It is significant for its position as a major community center for the Columbus' Black population from the time of its construction. In addition, it is the only historic building in the city known to have been designed by a Black architect (Evans and Plato, Louisville, Kentucky). By the mid-1920s, the Mt. Vernon Avenue area was firmly established as a Black neighborhood. This handsome building was erected in 1925-1926 for use as a Black lodge and theater, and has remained a fraternal and social center for the neighborhood to this day. Through the years, the theater has been used for vaudeville, movies, and performances by entertainment greats such as Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington."

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