Property Record
2201 E 5TH ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | SUPERIOR THEATER (1937-1967) (ASSESSOR'S RECORD) |
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| Other Name: | EAST END HARDWARE CO |
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| Reference Number: | 17307 |
| Location (Address): | 2201 E 5TH ST |
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| County: | Douglas |
| City: | Superior |
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| Year Built: | 1937 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19752019 |
| Historic Use: | theater/opera house/concert hall |
| Architectural Style: | Art/Streamline Moderne |
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| Wall Material: | Concrete |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. ROUNDED CNRS AND GEOMETRIC WALL PATTERNS. METAL AND NEON MARQUEE RESEMBLE A ROCKET. MAIN BODY W/ARCHED ROOF. INTERIOR COMPLETELY REMODELED VERY UNUSUAL. In the 1930s, the movie palace allowed audiences in remote towns to enjoy the same entertainments and atmosphere as those of big cities. Theater architecture also visually linked communities like Superior to the glamour of Hollywood, where the Superior Theater’s Streamline Moderne style flourished. The poured-concrete building features curved corners, inlaid with glass-block windows and etched with "speed lines," suggesting the aerodynamic designs of airplanes and automobiles. The two-tiered curved canopy over the sidewalk repeats this motif; it hangs from a stepped central section, incised with fluted “pilasters” and ziggurats. Above the canopy, a skyrocket terminates with the image of an electric dynamo. Along the shaft of this rocket, pulsating balls of light and neon stripes highlight the theater’s name. The original interior included a large foyer, sunken lounges, a glazed "sky lounge," a club room, and a "cry room," where parents could take their sobbing children yet continue to watch the screen. The theater's premiere was important enough to warrant having the Chamber of Commerce drop 1,500 balloons containing prize-winning coupons from an airplane and hold a parade, a band concert, and an open house that lasted well until midnight. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Assesor's record. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |