The First Nickelodeon

The First Nickelodeon. Cherokee-Lemp Historic District. , The faded lettering on the east side of this building once read "Wehrenberg's." In 1907, Fred Wehrenberg operated a grocery/saloon in this corner storefront. A year later he had rented a vacant storefront nearby on Cherokee and converted it into St. Louis' first recorded nickelodeon , beginning the Wehrenberg Theatre chain., Wehrenberg bought used kitchen chairs to seat the movie-goers. His wife, Gertrude, accompanied the silent features on piano , playing "Hearts and Flowers" for love scenes and "Light Cavalry" when the Indians were chasing the stage coach or the soldiers came riding to the rescue., Wehrenberg charged a nickel for each 35-minute picture feature. A full-house netted $4.95. At intermission, the movie-goers scrambled next door for a stein of beer at the Wehrenberg Saloon., Soon the Wehrenbergs were operating an airdrome on Jefferson Avenue beside their storefront theatre. Airdomes , open air theaters surrounded by board fences and with benches for seating , provided outdoor entertainment on steamy, hot summer evenings. Wehrenberg also operated the airdome in winter, putting on a canvas top and heating it with pot-bellied stoves., In 1910, Fred and Gertrude built the city's first theatre designed exclusively for movies , also on Cherokee. The Wehrenbergs' history is further interwoven with Cherokee since they expanded to operate several movie houses along the street., Wehrenberg Theatres , with beginnings on Cherokee , is one of the nation's largest theatre circuits, and is the oldest family owned and operated chain in the United States.