To submit essays and historical information to this section of the site, please e-mail essays to: poolpark@neo.rr.com , fax (419) 994 - 0610, or mail to P.O. Box 241, Loudonville, OH 44842.

I remember the first time I walked into the opera house. It must have been in the autumn, of 1982. I'd just bought the Blackfork Inn and moved to Loudonville to run it. My first reaction was: "Wow! What a beautiful place!"

And my second was intense nostalgia.

The theater reminded me of the Park Theater in Painesville where I'd grown up. And suddenly I felt like I was 12 again, waiting for the Hopalong Cassidy movie to start. I could almost taste the Jujubees!

Maybe that's why we all love this place so much. It makes us feel like kids again.

"City Hall / Opera House"
used with permission, Looking Back…A pictorial history of early twentieth century Loudonville.

Located on the site of the town's first such building, which had been erected in 1874, Loudonville's City Hall / Opera House was built in 1909-1910 at a cost of just over $33,000. ($24,000 for the structure, $9,000 for the interior.) Financed by 5% bonds (those for the structure payable over 20 years starting in 1918, for the interior seven years starting in 1911), the front portion of the new two story building housed the village offices, fire department and jail on the first floor, and council chambers, police department, and public library on the second. Occupying the entire back section was an Opera House, its 700 seats to be used for civic gatherings, cultural events and live entertainment. The new Opera House's grand opening, on December 27, 1910, featured the great scenic and electrical show, The Flaming Arrow, preceded by a street parade and free band concert. The Opera House's next program, on January 25, 1911, was a Public Library Benefit Concert given by the 50 voice Loudonville Choral Society.

There being no other comparable facility in town until the "New High School" (now C.E. Budd Middle School) was completed in 1925, for the first 15 years of its existence, the Opera House was a busy place, offering live dramatic and music performances, "photo plays" (later renamed motion pictures),and hosting civic gatherings, high school graduations, reunions, and presentations by the town's numerous fraternal and cultural organizations. An Opera House Orchestra, made up of local musicians and under the direct supervision of a professional whose salary was paid Charles F. Kettering, was formed and presented concerts.

It appears Neptune's Daughter was the first (in 1916) photo play unspooled in the Opera House, although "travel pictures," presented by a company which carried its own equipment, were being shown by late 1914. For a few years the Opera House's offerings were equally divided between live stage presentations and photo plays, but by the early 1920's the latter had become far more popular (in part because of much lower admission charges) and the Opera House gradually became a movie theater.

Among the photo plays offered in the Opera House's early years was D/W Griffith's film classic, Birth of a Nation, presented on March 29 and 30, 1918 (for the evening shows, which included a full, live orchestra, all seats were reserved and priced from 35 cents to 75 cents - plus war tax).

In early 1930, the manager of the Opera House installed the equipment needed for talking pictures (the first such film shown, Isle of Lost Ships, played to a capacity audience on February 11, 1930) amd the transformation from an opera house was made official in 1931 when new management took over and renamed the facility the Ohio Theatre.

During WW II, when gasoline was rationed and television had not yet made its appearance, the Ohio Theatre was easily the most popular spot in town. With the coming of television, video tapes, and VCRs, the appeal of the movie theaters diminished, but Loudonville's Opera House / Ohio Theatre survived, its interior looking virtually as it did in 1910. In recognition of this, in 1997 it was named to the National Registry of Historic Places, joining three other Ohio City Hall / Opera Houses which have received such a designation.

Note: For more information, please purchase a copy of Looking Back…A pictorial history of early twentieth century Loudonville which is available for $10.00 at Hollinger's Variety & Craft Store, 145 W. Main Street, Loudonville, OH 44842.

The Old Ohio Theater
By: Rich Plodzien, Lucas Ohio
March 7, 2001

Thursday evening and another hurried drive home to Mansfield from my job in Columbus with just enough time to cram down a few bites of something from the fridge with my wife, Anne. Then it's back to the car and off to the old Ohio Theater in Loudonville. On the way out the door, I asked Anne if she knew what was playing. She didn't know, and we didn't have time to look for the newspaper. Anyway, the movie is only a small part of the experience.

There is something magic about the whole affair. Thursday evenings have become special for us ever since we discovered this old theater in this old town. We can just about make it in time for the one and only evening showing. The country roads between Mansfield and Loudonville are winding and hilly and not made for a fool trying to make a half-hour trip in twenty minutes. Anne becomes my governor on these rides as I loose sight of reason negotiating the hills and curves. "Perrysville, Rich!" "Please slow down!" "It's 35 MPH here", she always reminds me. "Besides, you know he doesn't always start it right on time."

"He" is Jim Alleman, the man who runs the show. He is a friendly, snow-white-haired man who greets you at the front of the theater with a smile. He is wearing well-pressed black slacks and a red vest and tie. He holds the old brass handled door open for us, then rushes ahead to occupy the ticket booth to sell us tickets. Half way up the main isle towards the concession stand he presents himself again to tear our tickets in half, then, unobtrusively moves behind the concession counter to fill drink cups and a tub of the best damned popcorn you ever ate.

"I didn't think anyone was coming tonight", Jim said, as he held open the auditorium doors for us. "It's not very busy Thursday evenings". "It gets much busier on the weekends." "We know", Anne smiled. "Is there heat tonight?" "Last time we were here we had to keep our coats and gloves on the entire evening it was so cold." "But, it was O.K." Anne added quickly so as not to upset Jim.

Once inside the empty auditorium, we realized we were the only patrons. We began to giggle like children getting away with something. This grand old, not completely restored, but immaculately cared for movie house that had surely seen better days, made us giggle like a couple of kids. We had the whole place to ourselves. As we made our way down the isle, it was difficult to choose a seat, having all of them to choose from. After carefully selecting the best seats in the house, we settled in for the evening's entertainment. As I removed my coat, I looked back up to the projection booth and waived. "OK, Jim!" "We're ready." The old projector began to roll, lighting up the screen.

"Did you catch the name of the movie on the marquee, honey?" Anne asked. "No, I said." We giggled and sat back for another great evening's entertainment. As we sat there, holding hands and eating popcorn, I began to think about why this old place made me feel so warm and happy. I realized we have a lot in common with Jim and his pride and joy. With the passage of time changing nearly everything, here stands a place where time has stood still bringing pleasure to old and young people alike.

The little community of Loudonville has seen to that. The Ohio Theater is owned by the Village and operated by the Loudonville Recreation Department and the Loudonville Advisory Committee chaired by Kerry MacQueen. This group conducts fund-raisers, solicits public contributions, and organizes the hard work donated by community residents who are not willing to let this old movie house die. The Old Ohio Theater lives on. In preserving this old treasure, they have given Jim a reason to get out of bed every morning, and have given us a piece of Americana. It's nice to know there are still places like Loudonville and the Ohio Theater where age and experience are still celebrated.

Jim Alleman and The Ohio Theater don't exactly fit into today's Multiplex movie theater environment with ear splitting Dolby stereo-surround sound and ultra-wide screens showing 15 movies. At those theaters, you pay six and seven dollars a ticket to someone who never looks up from a magazine they're reading, to dispense your ticket. Drinks and popcorn cost another ten bucks and no one smiles or holds open a door for you. Anne and I spent twelve dollars - total at the Ohio last night. It was a little cool; and the sound cracked every now and then, and there is a tiny white spot at the top of the screen; but, all evening long, we looked around at this great old movie palace with its tarnished brass railings, beautiful gold crested balconies, and orchestra pit. We could smell the musty odor from once lush velvet seats. The steam boiler clanked whenever it came on, and we knew that we had a lot in common with this old place.

As we drove away from the theater, I noticed a banner posted on the marquee, "Coming Soon!" "Dolby Stereo Sound!" Please, Jim! Please Loudonville, I hope not!