Do You Know This Building?Answers: Constructed in 1923 of locally made yellow bricks, this two-story building on Florence’s Main Street features unusual multi-colored brickwork patterns enhanced by designs in natural colored slate. The parapet contains the name R. Elhage along with the year of construction. Elhage, who was of Syrian descent, was the original owner. The building was soon sold to the McCormick family of Canon City, operators of a small chain of well-run movie theaters. The main level seats 380 with an additional 160 in the balcony and boxes. The lower level seating was upgraded in 1950, but 150 of the original cast iron seats with the Rialto monogram remain in the balcony. The original brass railing surrounds the orchestra pit. The upper level of the stage contains the original machinery for the raising and lowering of backdrops and scenery. The Rialto was host to numerous cultural events, plays, shows, and melodramas. While the stage was designed to accommodate entertainment other than movies, the building functioned primarily as a motion picture theater. It was the only movie house to serve the town and the surrounding communities of Coal Creek, Penrose, Rockvale, Chandler and Portland. Silent films were shown until 1929, when talkies were introduced. Three different feature films were offered each week. A show consisted of a newsreel and a short comedy, followed by the full-length feature film. The Saturday afternoon and evening movies were westerns. The well-lighted marquee of the Rialto was one of the few signs
of activity along Main Street in the evenings. The theater closed
in the early 1960s due to a lack of patronage, probably brought
on by the popularity of television. The building was used as a church
until the early 1970s, when “The Red Brick Players”
operated out of the building. The building was vacated in 1975.
The Rialto was listed in the Colorado State Register of Historic
Properties, and some of the restoration work was funded with grants
from the State Historical Fund. |
