FHR--a--300 (11-78)

United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form 1980

Continuation sheet Item number 8 Page 24 1. Historic name: Strand Theatre and Arcade Common name: Mic~igan Theatre and Arcade 2. Location: 211-219 South Washington Avenue 3. Classification: Category: building Ownership: private Status: occupied Use: commercial/entertainment 4. Owner: Bijou Theatrical Enterprise Company . 1492 First National Building , 48226 7. Description: Condition: fair Altered Original site The Michigan Theatre and Arcade is a large commercial structure containing the Michigan Theatre and a two-story arcade. Built in 1921, it was designed by John Eberson in a Renaissance Classical style labelled by the architect as French or Gallic. In 1941 the structure was extensively remodelled; it is now a pleasant mixture of classical and Art Deco elements. The structure•s 109-foot wide west facade is two stories high--except for a three­ story,·.gabled, central block over the main entrance--and is constructed of red brick and decorated with terra cotta pilasters and other trimmings. The main en­ trance leads into a two-story, 165-foot long arcade containing a twenty-foot wide and thirty-foot high central promenade topped by a coffered ceiling with amber glass skylights (the whole now painted green). Shops flank the arcade•s first story, while commercial office space, the theater offices, and a (the latter now converted into commercial space) flank the second story. Unlike the arcade, which retains much of its original appearance, the theater part of the building was virtually rebuilt in 1941--in a colorful, Art Deco veign--by covering over the original work. The theater entrances, beyond the box office at the east end of the arcade, consist of four sets of beveled glass doors which lead into the theater•s two-story foyer, located to the south of the arcade•s east end. The second or mezzanine level, reached by a winding staircase_from the lower foyer, has a large promenade connecting the ladies• lounge and nurseryon the north end to the men•s lounge on the south. The theater auditorium is located east of the arcade and foyer. It is entered from the west end from a narrow, north-south lobby which adjoins the east side of both the arcade and foyer. The auditorium is an intimate room, with its stage area at the east end and a deep balcony at the west. It contains seats for 1,500. The main floor has two aisles and three tiers of seats. The stage area is forty feet deep and sixty feet high and is provided with a pit. A Barton organ, installed in 1928 (Continued) FHR-&-3011 (11-78)

United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form

Continuation sheet Item number 8 Page 25 Strand Theatre and Arcade (continued) and set on a lifting platform, is located at the pit•s north end; it has recently been restored and is now used for concerts. The stage•s molded-plaster, arched proscenium decoration and the floral-border, rose and gold curtain survive from the theater•s original construction. Nearly every other original feature was, however, removed or covered over in the 1941, Art Deco remodeling. The room•s color scheme--originally 11 Roman gold, 11 ivory, and rose--is now primarily dark red and green. As the theater was originally constructed, the side walls between the balcony and the stage were organized into paired Ionic columns on either side of an exit on the ground floor and boxes in the second story, above which the columns supported a large decorated entablature. Painted allegories of music and dance were located on either side of the exit, beneath the boxes. The arches echoed the large proscenium arch of the stage which was decorated with reliefs of musical instruments and floral motives. A similar frame originally defined a large oval on the ceiling over the balcony which was filled with a painted, starry sky. The ceiling arches and oval frame have been removed. The boxes in the second level of the side walls have also been removed, and replaced by large fabric panels, decorated with Art Deco, stylized floral motives and star patterns. The walls above these fabric panels now contain pierced-work panels which cover the house organ pipes. The original columns have been covered with fabric and the painted allegories removed. The proscenium arch is still intact, but was painted green during the Art Deco remodeling of 1941. The front of the balcony is divided into six units, reflecting the six boxes which once occupied this area of the balcony. There are five dressing rooms, an animal room, maintenance rooms, and restrooms in the basement of the theater. The basement of the arcade originally contained a bowling alley, billiard room, and community and public services areas, but these were removed in 1941. 8. Significance: Period: 1900- Areas of significance: architecture, entertainment Specific dates: 1920-1921 Architects: John Eberson, architect for original building John and Drew Eberson, architects for 1941 remodelling The Michigan Theatre and Arcade was built in 1920-21 as the Strand Theatre and Ar- cade Building. A commercial and entertainment center--originally containing a theater, ballroom, bowling alley, and stores grouped around an arcade--it was con­ structed for Walter Scott Butterfield, a Michigan theater entrepreneur and vaudeville pioneer. The theater•s architect was John Eberson, one of the most talented and well known American theater architects during the golden age of theater design in the early twentieth century. In architectural terms, the Michigan Theatre and Arcade is significant not only for its lavish, original, French Renaissance-Classical detailing-­ still intact in many parts of the structure--but also for its fine Art Deco auditorium (Continued) ------.

FHR~ (11 - 78)

United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form

Continuation sheet Item number 8 Page . 26 Strand Theatre and Arcade (continued} and loboies, the result of a 1941 remodelling directed by John and Drew Eberson. The Strand/Michigan Theatre was built for Walter Scott Butterfield who, at the time of the Strand's construction, owned and ran nineteen theaters in nine Michigan cities, as well as some out of state. The Strand, which originally seated about 1,750 people, was intended as a vaudeville house and Butterfield promoted himself as a vaudeville pioneer. Vaudeville and stage acts brought to the Strand by Butter­ field and his promoter, E. F. Albee of the B. F. Keith .Vaudeville Circuit and Ex­ change, included Ruby Keller, Al Jolson, Henry Houdini, Will Rogers, Marion Anderson, and Bing Crosby. Other musicians, acrobats, magicians and trained animals partici­ pated in the performances at the Strand Theatre. Photoplays were also part of the original billing, running silently for fourteen minutes each. By the summer of 1922 these photoplays replaced live acts which became exceptional occurrences. In 1929 sound films or 11 talkies" were introduced, further increasing the theater's popularity. John Eberson, architect of the Strand/Michigan Theatre, was one of America's fore­ most theater designers. He was best known for his "atmospheric" houses, of which at least three--the Grand Riviera (1925} in Detroit, the State (1927} in Kalamazoo, and the Capitol in Flint--remain in Michigan. Lansing's Michigan Theatre is, how­ ever, the only known early, "pre-atmospheric," Eberson building in the state. The Michigan is at the same time noteworthy for having the only thus far documented, Eberson-designed, Art Deco auditorium in Michigan. 9. Bibliography: Kopit, Betty. A Histor of the Strand Theatre, Lansin , Michi an. (1976 Masters Thesis, Theater Dept. M1c 1gan State Univers1ty. Lansing Arcade and Theatre Co. An Achievement. Lansing, 1921. 10. Geographical data: Acreage: Less than one acre UTM References: A: 16 700450 4733730 Verbal boundary description and justification: Starting at a point 111 ft. south of the southeast corner of the intersection of Sou~ h Washington and Allegan streets, the property line runs east 165 ft. It then runs south 21 ft. and turns east again running an additional 165 ft. The line then turns south and measures 99 ft. along this eastern (Grand Ave.} boundary. At this point the line runs west 165ft., then turns south and runs 65ft., then west again for 40ft. to form its southernmost boundary. The line then turns north and runs 32 feet, turns west and runs 10ft., and north again for 44ft., before turning west where it runs for 115ft. to meet its western (Washington Ave.} boundary line which measures (up to the northwest starting point} 109 ft. The property, which includes little more than the land gn which the arcade and theater stands and all the property owned by the theater 's owner, includes the following plots in Block No. 114 of the City of Lansing Original Plat: all of lots 3 and 10; the southern 21ft. of Lot 11; the northern half of Lot 4; a section of Lot 8 at the NE corner of the lot, 40 ft. wide on its north and south sides and 32 ft. long on the east and west sides; and the northern one-third of Lot 9 and also the eastern 50 ft. of said lot.

~~f(}f~!C~~ Strand Theatre and Arcade 211-219 S. Washington Ave. Lansing, Ingham Co., Michigan @ Thorn Greene June, 1980 m Neg. filed: DaCapo, Inc. r- Michigan Theatre Arcade Lansing, MI Eb (/) Exterior from northwest Photo 15 of 26

~~//'/~ ~~~~~) f Strand Theatre and Arcade =- 211-219 S. Washington Ave. t- ~ Lansing, Ingham Co., Michigan

Eb ) Thorn Greene October, 1979 (f) Neg. filed: Michigan History Division

View of arcade from west Photo 16 of 26

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Strand Theatre and Arcade oo:::t 211-219 s. Washington Ave. Lansing, Ingham Co., Michigan ~ Them Greene Oct., 1979 Neg. filed: Michigan History Division Theater lobby detail 31 Photo 17 of 26 ,..__

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Downtown- Lansing Multiple Resource Area

Strand Theatre and Arcade i;;:;;.- 211-219 S. Washington Ave. od Lansing, Ingham Co., Michigan -:::=l Photographer unknown c. 1941 .-:' Negative filed: Michigan State Archives, Department of State, Lansing, MI

View of auditorium from northwest Photo 18 of 26 SEP I 7 1980

DOWrttown Lansin~ MUltipl~ R~sou~c~ A~~a ~ Strand Theatre and Arcade d 211-219 S. Washington Ave. Lansing, Ingham Co., Michigan - ~ Thorn Greene Oct., 1979 """ Neg. filed: Michigan History Division

Auditorium detail Photo 19 of 26

'fP I 7 198C Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property

Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000322 ------