1920 - McSwain Theater - Ada, OK - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

The theater was constructed in 1920 by Foster McSwain for silent films and vaudeville. It originally seated 1250 persons. This is a three-story stucco-clad building with a recessed entry under a flat canopy supported by square pillars. The facade has three bays, with arched windows on the second and third floors. There is a projected, bracketed cornice and a stepped parapet.

The first silent movie shown here was "Suds" with Mary Pickford on 7/19/1920, at an admission cost of 15-25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. In 1929, "talkie" movies came to Ada.

In 1935, the theater underwent extensive renovation to accommodate modern motion pictures. New seats and balcony were added, upgraded heating and air-conditioning. Over the ensuing decades, the theater was active and hosted many personal appearance by the stars of the day.

With the arrival of multi-screen theater in the 1980's, McSwain Theater was negatively impacted and they closed in 1988. However, in 1991 the theater had a new owner and it came back to life with Branson-style variety shows starring country stars and up-and-coming performers.

In 2002, the theater was purchased by the Chickasaw Nation, and renovations were made to restore the building to its 1920's style. The stage , seating, dressing rooms and storage areas were expanded, and improved sound and lighting was added, as well as accommodations for the disabled. The second and third floors became a gallery area for art shows, receptions and special events.

Today, the theater shows vintage movies, and has monthly country music events where the public can audition, and annual awards ceremonies are held. The building is available for rental for film screenings, concerts, meetings, weddings and live entertainment.

Year of construction: 1920 Cross-listed waymark: Not listed Full inscription: Not listed

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