New Isis Theater - Fort Worth, TX
N 32° 47.292 W 097° 20.950
14S E 654590 N 3629013
Abandoned and neglected, the New Isis Theater awaits rebirth in the Fort Worth Stockyards, 2401 N. Main St, Fort Worth, TX.
Waymark Code: WMRQ2K
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/21/2016
Views: 7
Note: The name of this theater has nothing to do with the terrorist organization whose English name is an acronym identical to the name of the Egyptian mother goddess. Thank the 19th century Egyptian Revival for keeping that classical society in the minds of many.
The original Isis Theater was built at this site in 1913. Its roots were in a medicine show operated by banker, Louis Tidball. The show operated out of a tent, and part of the show involved a "moving picture", which ultimately gave way to Tidball's constructing a full-blown theater. When the original theater burned in 1935, Tidball built a new one, dubbing it "The New Isis Theater." The Architecture in Fort Worth website provides some details:
"This Art Deco movie palace was constructed to replace the Isis Theater that was built in 1914. The New Isis seated 920 theater patrons. The building features a stucco covered facade with a stepped parapet. On the front, the parapet has a blue and orange coping that matches the entrance canopy. A large vertical neon blade sign adorns the front facade. At the entrance, there are bands of green and yellow ceramic tile. On each side of the theater entrance were retail spaces which contained a barber and a jeweler shortly after the building opened. The building has been vacant for many years and there were plans for a restoration, but that has fallen through."
The New Isis Theater is part of the National Register of Historic Place's Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District, and unfortunately, has the dubious distinction of being among one of Historic Fort Worth’s list of Most Endangered Places. The theater has been vacant since 1988, and today, it stands, derelict. There were some rumblings of a restoration in 2007, but those fell through, and the theater was sold to investor, Larry White, in 2014. There may be hints of movement, as, in 2016, there have been some alterations to the front of the building in the form of treated boards and faux movie posters promoting area products and attractions.