Designed by the distinguished local architectural firm of Aschauer and Waggoner, the theatre was built in the captivating Art Nouveau and Beaux Arts styles. These design elements gave the Lincoln Square Theatre an ornate, opera-house feel, making it a jewel in Decatur’s architectural crown. When the curtains rose for the first time on October 31, 1916, the audience was treated to George M. Cohan’s “Hit-the-Trail-Holliday,” a lively stage farce that set the tone for the decades of performances to come.