Fort Smith in Sebastian County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
The New Theatre in 1911
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 17, 2016
1. The New Theatre in 1911 Marker
Inscription.
The New Theatre in 1911. . Ten years before the outbreak of the Civil War, the Old Red Mill stood on the future site of the New Theatre. The mill was used as a hospital during the Civil War, was damaged by the 1898 cyclone and finally disappeared around 1908. On the back section of the property the George T. Sparks estate built the 1,200 seat New Theatre in 1911. Designed as a Beaux Arts style playhouse by Kansas City architect Carl Boller, modeled after the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City. The lavish interior featuring a proscenium stage was ideal for vaudeville shows and silent movies with orchestral accompaniment. In 1922, retail shops and a long Garrison Avenue entrance were built, nicknamed Peacock Alley, a place to see and be seen. In 1942, the theater was sold to Malco Theaters, Inc., who changed the name and modernized the interior space. The Malco Theater operated until the late 1970s when single screen theaters became passé.
Ten years before the outbreak of the Civil War, the Old Red Mill stood on the future site of the New Theatre. The mill was used as a hospital during the Civil War, was damaged by the 1898 cyclone and finally disappeared around 1908. On the back section of the property the George T. Sparks estate built the 1,200 seat New Theatre in 1911. Designed as a Beaux Arts style playhouse by Kansas City architect Carl Boller, modeled after the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City. The lavish interior featuring a proscenium stage was ideal for vaudeville shows and silent movies with orchestral accompaniment. In 1922, retail shops and a long Garrison Avenue entrance were built, nicknamed Peacock Alley, a place to see and be seen. In 1942, the theater was sold to Malco Theaters, Inc., who changed the name and modernized the interior space. The Malco Theater operated until the late 1970s when single screen theaters became passé.
Location. 35° 23.074′ N, 94° 25.289′ W. Marker is in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in Sebastian
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County. Marker is on Garrison Avenue east of 10th Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1004 Garrison Avenue, Fort Smith AR 72901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. The markers in this series are placed so that viewers can only read them from the sidewalk while facing the historical subject of the marker.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 17, 2016
3. The New Theatre in 1911 Marker
Looking NNW across Garrison Avenue
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 17, 2016
4. The New Theatre in 1911 Marker (rear)
This is the street view of the marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 24, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 377 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 24, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
