Madison Theaters
MADISON THEATER
The Madison Theater, located at 1537 Third Street in Madison,
Illinois (just to the west of the city hall), was constructed in
about 1913 by the Madison
Fire
Company. The Fireman's Hall was on the second floor, and the theater
on the first floor. Madison is a city that is partly in Madison
County, and partly in St. Clair County, and is located between
Granite City and East St. Louis.
Next door to the theater was a candy shop, which had a window that
opened into the theater lobby. A whistle was located on top of the
Firemen's building which blew each night at curfew time (9PM), for
youngsters to head home. In 1949, the police chief in Madison stated
the curfew would be enforced, and any boy under 14, and any girl
under 15 who ignored the whistle would be subject to arrest.
In 1937, the theater, under the management of Herman Stemberg,
underwent improvements with new upholstered seats, carpet, and new
lighting. In 1951 the theater was expanded and renovated again. It
finally closed in the late 1950s, and renovations to the building
erased most of the evidence of the theater's existence. The building
still stands today.