Palace Theatre

617 Broadway

Lorain, Ohio

The Palace is the largest one-floor theatre in the State of Ohio and would serve as the  cornerstone for Lorain.  The exterior was designed in Gothic style with a facade of terra cotta and elaborately cut stone while the interior was reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance.  Both the inner and outer lobbies featured ornate sculptured ceilings elegantly painted in soft shades of turquoise and coral, highlighted in gold.  The graceful domed ceiling of the main auditorium featured an exquisite three-quarter-ton crystal chandelier. 

The Palace featured a fireproof projection room and two Peerless Simplex projection machines.  These machines allowed pictures to be run continuously without a break for re-winding.  The 100 foot stage contained 23 sets of lines for flying scenery, making it suitable for vaudeville shows. The full orchestra pit was accessible from both the main seating area and the basement.  In 1928, the total cost of construction and equiipment was $500,000. For many years, the Variety Amusement Company owned and operated the Palace. 

On opening night patrons flocked into the Palace's 1,720 upholstered leather seats to watch a talking movie for the first time and were treated to a film resume of world events.  They viewed a comedy and novelty reel, followed by Syd Sampliner and his Palace Concert Orchestra plus three acts of vaudeville.  The spotlight then moved to the Mighty Wurlitzer organ as it rose from below the stage, thrilling the audience with its pulsating crescendos.  

The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ

Opus 1858

Model 220

The organ was tagged for delivery to the Lorain Place on February 25, 1928.  It was fulled installed by March 15, 1928.  This organ is one of only seven built in this style.  It is also one of only two Wurlitzer's of this particular style worldwide that is still in its orginal installed location.  The console is positioned in the orchestra pit and thanks to a 2014 refurbishment, this Might Wurlitzer can once again .. rise majestically on a lift for solo presentations and descend gracefully back into the orchestra pit. 

A virtually unknown and certainly unseen feature of the Lorain Palace Wurlitzer is its organ chambers.  These chambers house the ranks of pipes, the percussion and the organ's other effects which are tucked away behind the walls on either side of the Palace stage.  It is from these hidden chambers in conjunction with the sole power source for the organ located in the basement that the "mighty" Wurlitzer gets its might!

As a theatre sidenote, Lorain, Ohio also had the State Theatre located at 375 Broadway.  It housed one screen and had 1,350 seats.  In 1924, Lorain experienced a tornado that destroyed the State Theatre.  Sadly, it was demolished.  

 

Ther is an historical marker at the former theatre location commemorating those lost at the State Theatre due to the powerful tornado.  Though the State Theatre held strong by all reports, the nearby seven-story Wickens Furniture building was no match for the storm, falling on top of the theatre allowing many patrons in the State Theatre to run to the street.  Unfortunately, the roof weight of the Wickens building and some of its top floors concaved the State Theatre with the balcony crashing to the main floor leading to loss of life. Today, there is an historical marker at 383 Broadway commemorating lives lost.  The theatre's remains were ultimately razed on June 30, 1924.

Historical Marker Inscription

Just after 5:00 P.M. on June 28, 1924, a tornado swept off Lake Erie directly into downtown Lorain.  Within five minutes, seventy-eight people lost their lives.  Fifteen died in the old State Theatre that stood upon this site, as an audience of two hundred watched a Saturday afternoon musical performance.  More than one thousand suffered injuries.  The tornado did extensive damage to the business district, destroyed 500 homes and damaged a thousand more.  The city's largest industry, the American Shipbuilding yards, was severely damaged.  The tornado, which had hit Sandusky before striking Lorain, continued along the shoreline and struck Sheffeld and Avon minutes later.  Contemporary accounts listed eighty-two deaths resulting from the deadliest tornado in Ohio's history.