Valentine Theater Building - Toledo - Ohio
Posted by: 
JIMBOBWE
N 41° 39.177 W 083° 32.055
17T E 288974 N 4614347
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Valentine Theatre is one of Toledo's most colorful historical landmarks, having endured a tumultuous history and a close call with the bulldozer.
Waymark Code: WM5K56
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 01/17/2009
Views: 16
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Valentine Theatre is one of Toledo's most colorful historical landmarks, having endured a tumultuous history and a close call with the bulldozer. The theater was commissioned by a young millionaire, George Ketcham, in honor of his late father, Valentine (hence the name), and designed in the "Chicago School" style by E.O. Fallis. Its doors opened on Christmas night in 1896; the demand for tickets to this opulent Victorian theater was so great that tickets were auctioned off. Since then it's seen many transformations. Due to the depression of the 1890s, the building was soon leased to the City Council for office space, making it a local political hot spot.
In 1914, projection facilities were added so that silent movies could be shown along with stage shows. In 1942 a major rehab covered up or destroyed most of the original architecture, turning the Valentine into one of the country's first Loews movie houses. It closed in 1972. Despite a city task force's recommendation to tear down the building in 1983, various cultural and civic groups organized as the Friends of the Valentine to save the theater from destruction. Within months the council voted to save the theater, and the Valentine reopened its doors in the fall of 1999 to the tune of a $20 million restoration.
It now hosts the Toledo Opera, Ballet, Symphony Orchestra and many other acts, including traveling Broadway shows.
Street address:
410 Adams Street
Toledo, Oh USA
43604
County / Borough / Parish: LUCAS
Year listed: 1987
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1925-1949
Historic function: Government, Recreation And Culture
Current function: Theater
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.