Holland Theater

Schine's Holland Theatre
The Holland from Columbus Ave.
Location 125 E. Columbus Ave., Bellefontaine, Ohio
Coordinates 40°21′40″N 83°45′32″W / 40.36111°N 83.75889°WCoordinates: 40°21′40″N 83°45′32″W / 40.36111°N 83.75889°W
Area less than one acre
Built 1931
Architect Peter M. Hulsken; Hoseler Bros.
Architectural style Dutch Revival
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 01000561[1]
Added to NRHP May 25, 2001

The Holland Theatre was a movie theater that operated from 1931 until 1998 in Bellefontaine, Ohio, United States. Like many historic theaters, the Holland ultimately went out of business after a newer, more technologically advanced cinema, was introduced to the town.

Built with the capability for both cinema and stage plays, the Holland was known for large depictions of a 17th-century Dutch landscape that lined both interior sidewalls of the theater. The displays included windmills that slowly turned.

The Holland was eventually converted to a 5 screen multiplex, with the "main" screen remaining in the auditorium in front of the stage. The theater's balcony was split in half and converted into two screens, and two additional screens were constructed in the rear of the cinema where the stage previously existed.

The Holland closed in October, 1998. Today, the building is open and hosts various fine arts events, while a preservation group works to restore the theater. In 2010, the theater received a grant from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission; the theater board has installed a new lighting system with the grant money.[2]

Individuals associated with the theater believe that it is the only atmospheric theater in the United States built in a primarily Dutch style of architecture.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hochstedler, Mandy. "Lights! Sound! Grants precede action at historic Holland Theatre". Bellefontaine Examiner, 2010-04-01, 1.

External links