212-214 S Michigan - State Theater_Survey Card

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columns with one column and pilaster at each end. The recessed wall is composed of panels of diagonal brick and terra cotta patterns framed by flat pilasters and a cornice line. Above these panels are sculpted terra cotta panels heralding the performing arts. Additional Features: A window is located at either end of teh facade with a heavily.ornamented falso balcony and exagerrated lintel with a Jestor's face sculpted at the top. Additional Statement of Significance: These plans were not the ones that were adopted. 0n the 9th of January, 1919, the Blackstone Theater Corp. filed incorporation papers in the State of Indiana. They listed capitol stock at $600,000 or 6,000 shares at $10.00 a share. The new corporation received theninety nine year leases for lot 56 and 57, 0.P. from Jacob Handelsman and Charles Potts. In June of 1919, the building on the McGill property was razed, but one of the tenants that had leased from Frank C. Toepp, St. filed a restraining order against the Blackstone Theater Corporation and the case was not settled until August of 1919. The Blackstone Theater Corporation placed an ad in.the South Bend Tribune,September 4, 1919, announc- ing a limited stock offer. The corporation reminded the people of the area that the building of the theather was a home project and the Blackstone Theater Corporation wanted home capitol to share all the profits. Enough money must have been raised to get the project started because on the 22nd of September, 1919 the city issued a building permit. In 1919 the Ralph Sollitt and Son Construction firm of Chicago established a regional office in South Bend. Ralph S. Sollitt and Lincoln Sollitt headed this area office and they contracted to build the Black- stone Theater Building. Ralph and Lincoln Sollitt later organized the Sollitt Construction Corporation of South Bend. In May of 1920, the Union Trust Company purchased $200,000 in bonds from the Blackstone Theater Corporation leased the store building and rooms in the building to doctors, dentists, shoe stores, jewelry stores, restaurants, and the Little Folks Clothing Shop. 0n January 27th 1921, on page 8 of the News Times Newspaper, the new Blackstone was described as Indiana's Most Beautiful Photo Play Theater." The fire -proof building cost $500,000, and was designed by Henry Newhouse of Chicago. It had concrete floors and stairways and the only wood used was for window and door casings. The lobby was 60' x 35', finished with imported marble and tile supplied by E.E. Horse pool of the South Bend Marble Company. The theater building, suggesting a style patterned after the old Roman Coliseum. There were small balconies at the sides of the theater but no posts obstructed the view from the other seats. The walls had a brocade effect in brown and gold with the draperies supplied by Mandel Brothers of Chicago. The velvet carpet and leather shairs were supplied by Karper Brothers of Chicago through Robertson Brothers of South Bend. The oval dome was made of fine sky blue art glass that matched the blue ceiling. The film booth was one of the largest and most complete in the United States and had three Cimplex Company motion picture projectors for showing silent moving pictures. The sound for the pictures was provided by an orchestraand organ. The stage could be enlarged for concerts and musicals. One of the new features of the theater was a nursery for children with an attendant to take care of them while parents attended the performance. The outside front of the theater ha.ten massive columns, starting at the second story. Five large urns are at the base of these columns, giving the building the look of neo-classic style of architecture. In February, 1922, the auditorium was leased to the R.B. Corporation, managed by Ezra Rhodes. The Blacksotne Theater Corporation had financial difficulties in 1923, and the directors secured -a 250, 000 mortgage from the Meyer -Kiser Bank of Indianapolis. In 1931, the Blackstone Theater Corporation went into receivership and J.J. Kiser was appointed the trustee. The name of the theater was changed from r1 State Theater at this time. Kiser remained trustee of the building, arranging leases for