Indiana Theatre (Terre Haute, Indiana)
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Indiana Theatre
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Indiana Theatre Event Center in Terre Haute, Indiana
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| Location | 683 Ohio St., Terre Haute, Indiana |
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| Coordinates | 39°27′55″N 87°24′26″W / 39.46528°N 87.40722°WCoordinates: 39°27′55″N 87°24′26″W / 39.46528°N 87.40722°W |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | John Eberson |
| Architectural style | Spanish Baroque, Atmospheric theater |
| MPS | Downtown Terre Haute MRA |
| NRHP Reference # | 83004578 |
| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1997 |
The Indiana Theatre is a historic theater in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1997 and is located in the Wabash Avenue-East Historic District. It opened on January 28, 1922. The theatre was built by Terre Haute resident T. W. Barhydt and was designed by John Eberson. Eberson, who later developed the atmospheric theater style of movie palace, first experimented with atmospheric design elements at the theatre. Eberson stated, "Into this Indiana Theatre I have put my very best efforts and endeavors in the art of designing a modern theatre such as I have often pictured as what I would do were I given a free hand." Through this quote Eberson confirms that the Indiana Theatre embodies his vision of a dream theater that marked the shift to his atmospheric style.
Throughout its history, the theatre has hosted a wide range of events that have included vaudeville, cinema, performing arts and community celebrations of all types. Long time employees remember nostalgic entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Jack Burns, and the Marx Brothers Road Shows at the Indiana Theater. The Indiana Theatre was chosen as the site for the world premiere screening of Disney's McFarland, USA on November 20, 2014.
Through restoration efforts which began in May 2013, the Indiana Theatre’s heritage has been preserved and the Indiana has been reborn as a 1,600 seat full service event center which can host a wide range of community gatherings that include live entertainment, performing arts, cinema, wedding events, and fundraisers.
The John Schumacher Company of Indianapolis was the builder and the cost of construction was $1,000,000 in 1922 dollars. Construction consisted of 1,665,000 bricks, 7,250 yards of excavation, 24,500 s.f. of cement floor, and 283 tons of steel. All fabrication and plaster work was prepared onsite and the project design and construction was completed in 18+ months. The theater lighting system was the most modern system in the nation. The Indiana Theatre was originally built for vaudeville and silent movies but was adapted to talking movies as vaudeville faded from prominence. Originally, the building façade featured an enormous peacock which consisted of 3,000 lights and “lit up the corner of 7th and Ohio like nothing ever seen before".
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