The Ironwood Theatre was built as a vaudeville/silent movie palace in 1928 under the direction of Architect Albert Nelson at a cost of $160,000. Under the leadership of A.L. Pikar, the theatre became the center of entertainment in the Ironwood area. The Hollywood Golden Age of the 30,s, 40s and 50s followed the Great Depression.

In the 60s, the Ironwood Theatre was sold to Thomas Theatres of Iron Mountain. The theatre operated as a first run movie house until it's closing in 1982.

In 1982, owner Thomas Renn gave the Ironwood Theatre to the City of Ironwood through the Downtown Ironwood Development Authority (DIDA). Restoration efforts began at that time under the direction of the newly formed Ironwood Theatre Preservation Committee. On January 11, 1985, the Ironwood Theatre was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

In 1986, the DIDA was awarded a grant by the State of Michigan, beginning an extensive renovation program that is on-going. Completed renovations include the seats in the main auditorium and balcony, carpeting, restoration of the ceiling mural, wall and beam decorations, as well as a new stage floor, heating and state of the art lighting and sound systems, to name a few. Restoration efforts at present include custom-made organ vent curtains funded by a grant from the Albert W. Cherne Foundation, and basement and ventilation improvements partly funded by the Michigan Council of the Arts and Cultural Affairs.

The Ironwood Theatre was incorporated in 1988 as an independent, non-profit cultural organization and the building is leased from the City of Ironwood. The Ironwood Theatre assumes all operating costs and all maintenance and repairs of the facility. In the absence of local tax support, it is funded by ticket sales, user fees, several annual fundraisers, a Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs grant, along with area business support and other fundraising activities. The Ironwood Theatre is a volunteer based organization with a 12 member Board of Directors, two part-time employees (sound technician and janitor) and dozens of dedicated volunteers, including the entire office staff.

The Barton Organ

The Bartola Musical Company of Oshkosh, Wisconsin installed 350 organs in movie theatres during the silent film era. Of these, the Ironwood Theatre’s Barton is one of only six remaining original installations. The newest of the three Bartons in Ironwood (the others were at the Rialto Theatre in 1925 and the Rex Theatre in 1926) is completely intact as it was opening night in June 1928.

In 2000, the Board of Directors approved the restoration of the instrument by a group of dedicated volunteers aided and taught by professional technicians.

The “Grand Old Lady” is now completely playable and is regularly used for concert performances and the accompaniment of silent films at special events.

The organ has been awarded registration as a “Heritage Instrument” by the American Theatre Organ Society for its restoration as an original theatre installation.

The Proscenium Mural

The restored proscenium mural has quite a history of its own.

The artistry of the original three-panel mural was designed and painted by William Hasenberg during the construction phase of the Ironwood Theatre in 1925-1926.

During a renovation in 1973, the magnificent mural, along with the plaster ornamentation and ceilings in the balcony were covered with dark blue paint.
The restoration of the mural began in 1994 with Affiliated Artists as project directors. David Strickland, muralist, monitored the entire restoration process, the first being the removal of the blue paint without destroying the original mural. The original palette of color led to a decision to encapsulate the mural and use it as an artistic outline. David chose the new color values for the historic mural to harmonize with the overall décor of the Theatre. An additional cherub was added on the left to balance the overall composition. The mural restoration is now complete.

Site hosted by:
Northern Web Hosting