Downtown Champaign in Champaign County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
New Orpheum Theatre
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 28, 2023
1. New Orpheum Theatre Marker
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
1914
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 40° 7.168′ N, 88° 14.568′ W. Marker is in Champaign, Illinois, in Champaign County. It is in Downtown Champaign. Marker is at the intersection of North Neil Street and East Washington Street, on the left when traveling south on North Neil Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 346 N Neil St, Champaign IL 61820, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Roger Joseph Ebert (approx. 0.2 miles away); Inman Hotel (approx. ¼ mile away); Champaign's Lincoln (approx. ¼ mile away); The First Congregational Church (approx. ¼ mile away); The Cattle Bank Building (approx. 0.3 miles away); Kappa Sigma Fraternity House (approx. 0.9 miles away); Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity House (approx. 0.9 miles away); Early Computers (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Champaign.
Regarding New Orpheum Theatre. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:
The New Orpheum Theatre is … a significant workof the architecture firm Rapp and Rapp, representing the firm's early use of the French-inspired interiors which later became the signature style of their grand movie palaces of the 1920s. While brothers C. W. and George Rapp were already well-kmown as theatre architects, their pre1920s work was characterized bv the vaudeville/"photoplay" theatres. These smaller theatres represent a transition in the development of the moving picture, and at the same time, show the continued popularity of vaudeville entertainment. … Opened October 19, 1914, the New Orpbeum Theatre provided vaudeville and moving picture entertainment almost without interruption into the 1980s. The theatre was closed briefly in the sunmer of 1932 due to the Depression. Although the Orpheum Has forced to reduce prices in half throughout the Depression, as were many other theatres, the 1940s brought an increased attendance which reflected a wartime desire for both news (newsreels) and escape (the films). The Orpheum continued to operate as a movie theatre until spring, 1986.
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Also see . . .
1. New Orpheum Theatre (PDF). National Register nomination for the venue, which was listed in 1991. (National Archives) (Submitted on June 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Orpheum Theatre (Champaign, Illinois).
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 28, 2023
2. New Orpheum Theatre Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 46 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
