Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida)
The Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Florida is a historic theater located at 121 South Florida Avenue.
Address | 121 S Florida Ave, Lakeland, Florida |
---|---|
Coordinates | 28.0432°N 81.9572°W |
Owner | Private |
Type | Atmospheric |
Capacity | 1,400 |
Current use | Performance Theatre |
Polk Theatre and Office Building | |
Location | 121 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland, Florida |
Coordinates | 28°2′35″N 81°57′28″W |
Built | 1927 |
Architect | James E. Casale, George A. Miller |
Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
NRHP reference No. | 93000446[1] |
Added to NRHP | May 27, 1993 |
Construction | |
Opened | 1928 |
Architect | J.E. Casale |
Website | |
http://www.polktheatre.org |
The 1,400-seat theatre was built in 1928 after the local business "boom" of the town had ended and despite the fact that the population was only 15,000 inhabitants. In 1982, a group of concerned people banded together to save the theatre from being razed due to low attendance. Local citizens formed a non-profit group, borrowed money, secured a grant from the state, and purchased the theatre for $300,000.[2] The theatre has a mezzanine, a high balcony, a permanent backdrop of a "Venetian piazza," an orchestra pit, a ceiling against which images of twinkling stars are projected, and terrazzo flooring. The air-conditioning system, which was the first in the county, was a pump that used artesian well water to chill the building.[3]
Under the name Polk Theatre and Office Building, the building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[1]
Image gallery
- Polk Theatre as viewed from the sidewalk, October 2006.
- Polk Theatre as viewed from the street, October 2006 (landscape).
- Polk Theatre as viewed from the street, October 2006 (portrait).
- Polk Theatre as viewed from the street, June 2019.
See also
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- "Polk Theatre - History of the Theatre". Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- "Polk Theatre in Lakeland, FL". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved July 3, 2019.