This Day in Indiana History - August 30, 1916 - Circle Theater Opened In Indianapolis

Circle Theater - Downtown Indianapolis

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August 30, 1916 - Circle Theater Opened In Indianapolis
Local businessmen purchased a livery stable that stood on Monument Circle, tore it down and financed the new Circle Theater. Designed by architects Preston C. Rubush and Edgar O. Hunter, the theater was the first constructed in Indianapolis designed for the new motion pictures.
Preston C. Rubush and Edgar O. Hunter
Robush and Hunter was a prominent team of architects that designed many important structures in Indianapolis from 1905 to 1938. These buildings include:
Columbia Club, built 1925
Indiana School for the Deaf, built 1911
Indiana Theater,built 1927
The National Register of Historic Places lists many of the buildings designed by the duo.
Circle Theater
With a seating capacity of 2712, the Neo-Classical Revival design is a classic example of the era's great movie palaces.  In addition to the silent movies of the day, the theater also hosted live acting and musical productions. The Circle Theatre played the first movie with sound, Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer, in 1928. After a massive renovation, the Circle Theater became the home to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1982.