Star Theatre (Argyle, Wisconsin)

Star Theatre
Location 200 S. State St., Argyle, Wisconsin
Coordinates 42°41′59″N 89°52′2″W / 42.69972°N 89.86722°W / 42.69972; -89.86722Coordinates: 42°41′59″N 89°52′2″W / 42.69972°N 89.86722°W / 42.69972; -89.86722
Built 1878
Architect Alanson Partridge
NRHP reference # 80000154
Added to NRHP November 7, 1980[1]

Star Theatre, also known as Partridge Hall, is a shop/meeting hall/theater built in 1878 in Argyle, Wisconsin, in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1][2]

Alanson Partridge was a carpenter who moved from New York to Wisconsin in 1856. In 1878 he built the north wing of the building, with his carpentry shop on the first floor and a large hall above. It was called Partridge Hall, and rented for meetings, dances, and meals. Partridge himself sponsored some events like a Christmas Ball, and advertised it with barkers in the streets. Partridge advocated temperance, so alcohol was not served there. Some time after 1881 he added the south wing.[3]

The building is two stories, frame covered with clapboards. Most of the windows have curved tops and the east gable is decorated with a bell-shaped fascia. The hall on the second floor had a stage.[3]

In 1908 Partridge sold his hall to Argyle's Modern Woodmen of America. They continued to rent out the hall, and it remained a social center of the community, hosting meetings, proms, lectures, roller skating, and basketball games. In 1920 the hall was renamed the Star Theatre, and began to show motion pictures: silent films and talkies.[3]

In 1945 the movies stopped and the building sat idle. For a while it was used as a hatchery. Around 1980 it was restored to house shops and a restaurant.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Star Theatre". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Terry L. Shoptaugh; Diane H. Filipowicz (1980-06-08). "NRHP Registration: Star Theatre". National Park Service. With two photos.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.