Latest Updates from Lincoln Square Theater

Stay informed about upcoming events, renovations, and community initiatives. Check back regularly for the latest news and announcements.

Feature-Ready References & External Links

  • herald-review.com Lincoln Square Theater playing ‘Jaws’ for 50th anniversary
  • Construction photo (1916) – Facebook group archive
  • Early press coverage & ads – Decatur Library’s Local History Digital Display
  • Architectural & program history – CinemaTreasures entry
  • Blackstone performance story – CinemaTreasures recount
  • 100th Anniversary feature – CinemaTreasures blog/post
  • 2025 Open House event – Decatur Tribune article
  • Jesse James Dupree radio interview – DecaturRadio.com
  • Dupree shout-out video – Friends of Lincoln Facebook

Preservation & Modern Milestones

  • $1.75 M grant awarded in 2004 for restoration work
  • Closed 2017, later taken over by Friends of the Lincoln Square Theater (FotLSQ), reopening as concert venue in 2022
  • Renamed and repositioned as a community arts center by FotLSQ, promoting local economic revitalization

Recent News & Events

  • Open House Event (May 13, 2025): Decatur Tribune coverage highlighting both history and future plans
  • 100th Birthday (Oct 2016): Coverage celebrating opening anniversary, mentioning early stars like Louis Armstrong and Bob Hope

Architectural & Performance Highlights

  • Built in 1916 by architects Aschauer & Waggoner in Art Nouveau/Beaux‑Arts style; originally seated nearly 1,400; equipped with a Barton three-manual organ
  • Opening night: Oct 27, 1916—featured George M. Cohan’s Hit‑the‑Trail‑Holliday
  • Transitioned from live performances to “talkies” by mid‑1929, ending its silent/vaudeville era
  • Harry Blackstone performed in Sept 1942; famously evacuated schoolchildren during a drugstore fire, keeping them calm as a “magical” intervention
  • Notable acts: Ethel Barrymore, Bob Hope, magically rumored Houdini
  • 1960 fire damaged the lobby; rebuilt more plainly afterward

Radio Features & Tours

  • Jesse James Dupree interview (Nov 21, 2023): Live radio segment on DecaturRadio.com promoting Jackyl’s Lincoln Square pre‑Thanksgiving show
  • Facebook video (Oct 28, 2022): “Jesse James Dupree in da house!!!” glimpse behind the scenes at the venue
  • Other notable radio features include News Radio 101 ticket promotions (specific dates unspecified).Other notable radio features include News Radio 101 ticket promotions (specific dates unspecified).

Early Historic Mentions & Press (1916–1920)

Construction (March 1916)

Rare photo of the theater under construction, showing scaffolding across the auditorium

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Advertisements (June–Nov 1916)

Ads include a new billiards parlor (June), Edison phonograph + contralto singer (Nov), and listings for silent film programs

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“Handsome Curtain of Old Rose Velvet” (May 7, 1916)

Commemorates its elegant interior during an early opening preview

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Temporary Closure (Aug 8, 1920), and “Meet the New Lincoln Master” (Apr 14) articles

Signifying management changes and operational pauses

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