The Picture Show Brick Arch - Frisco, TX
N 33° 09.027 W 096° 49.459
14S E 702918 N 3670073
Today the home of Lebanon Masonic Lodge #837 A.F. & A.M., the brick arch that survived Frisco's 1922 fire is preserved in the façade of the building that rose from the ashes. Located at 6983 Main Street,
Frisco, TX.
Waymark Code: WMJK9Y
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/28/2013
Views: 2
A Heritage Association of Frisco sign is near the entrance, and it provides some background on how this arch lives on after the 1922 downtown fire destroyed the rest of the building:
The Picture Show
Known variously as the Rio, Gem and Queen, this theater built in 1919 was destroyed by fire in 1922. Left standing was the brick arch and it was embedded into the building that soon rose from the ashes. Weekend movies were enjoyed here for almost 40 years. Today it is the Masonic lodge hall.
Heritage Association of Frisco, Inc. 2005
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The Heritage Association of Frisco provides some complementary information (see Related URL):
"While Frisco got its first movie house about 1915, the year 1919 saw a new and improved theatre on this site. The brick archway sheltered a ticket booth at the front of the building and the rest of the building was made of wood. A fire in 1922 burned most of the downtown area, but the brick archway withstood the fire and soon a new brick theatre with a balcony was built on the site. This was the only movie theatre in Frisco until it closed in 1956. It was known as the Queen, the Gem, and the Rio. The theatre was known to have rats that at times provided more excitement and entertainment than the show itself. It is said they would stand up in the aisle and eat popcorn!
Until the late 1920s all the movies were "silent" and talking, yelling and clapping during the movies were the custom of the day. A comedy and a serial that continued from week to week preceded most feature movies. The theatre had no air conditioning and was cooled by a fan. The projectionist had to repair breaks in the film and if the city’s gasoline-powered generator stopped the lights in the theatre went out as well. The going rate to attend a movie was 10 cents."
Type: Remnant
Fee: No
Hours:
Any time, although the best views are during the day.
Related URL: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Original photographs showing additional views of the Ruin/Remnant or even just its current condition are encouraged. Please describe your visit, especially if no additional photos are available. Did you like the Ruin or Remnant? What prompted you to see the Ruin or Remnant?
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