National Register of Historic Places

Central Park Theater

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
August 9, 2005
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
05000873

About this property

Central Park Theater is a historic theater building at 3531-39 W. Roosevelt Road in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1917, the theater was the first in the Balaban and Katz chain. Chicago architectural firm Rapp and Rapp designed the Spanish Revival building; their design led them to become the main architects for Balaban and Katz, and later for Paramount Pictures. The firm's design featured two prominent towers on its front facade and was decorated with red brick and terra cotta. The theater was also the first in the world to include mechanical air conditioning, which featured prominently in its advertising during the summer. It provided entertainment to both Lawndale's Jewish community and the African-American community that replaced it in the 1950s, and it is one of the few remaining Lawndale business from the early twentieth century. The theatre was the inspiration for the well known Call of Duty Zombies map, Kino Der Toten. In 1971, the theater was converted to the House of Prayer, Church of God in Christ; it has been used as a church ever since. The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 2005.

Location

3531-39 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.86651, -87.70734

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONINVENTIONENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Sears, Roebuck and Company Complex
Industrial
0.3 mi
Jewish People's Institute
Industrial
0.4 mi
Stone Temple Baptist Church
Industrial
0.5 mi
Chicago Telephone Company Kedzie Exchange
Industrial
1 mi
King, Patrick J., House
Industrial
1.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Central Park Theater listed on the National Register?

Central Park Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 9, 2005.

What type of historic resource is Central Park Theater?

Central Park Theater is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Central Park Theater?

The period of significance for Central Park Theater is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Central Park Theater?

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