Star Theater / Ithaca College Gymnasium

Star Theater, Chas L Hamer business mgr, 118-120 E Seneca St

Ithaca, NY

"Work on the new Star theater is progressing rapidly. The side walls of hollow tile reinforced, are up about twelve feet and the pressed brick front is laid to the top of the first floor windows. A large force of masons are employed and the men are served with mortar from a gasoline cement mixer."

"Star Theater Work Is Progressing Rapidly," Ithaca Daily Journal, May 18, 1911, 8, https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=idj19110518-01.1.8

  "Two acts of high class vaudeville, furnished by the United Booking Agency of New York, and three reels of moving pictures, with three performances daily, will be the entertainment policy of the New Star Theater which opens to the public next Monday night.
  The first performance in the new house will be at 7:30 Monday night and thereafter performances will begin at 3:30, 7:30 and 9 o'clock each day, with an entire change of program each Monday and Thursday. An additional feature of the entertainments will be a six-piece orchestra under the direction of Violinist Henry Schellenberg, of Syracuse. The orchestra will comprise a piano, violin, clarinet, cornet, double-bass and drums.
  The motion picture shown at the new playhouse will be the same as those supplied to the Keith, Proctor, Williams and other big eastern theaters. They will be thrown from a fire-proof enclosure in the rear of the balcony that is a model of safety.
  The entire booth surrounding the picture machines is made of asbestos cement with an iron pipe leading to the outside of the building, so that there is no danger of an internal fire communicating to the theater proper.
  Fire protection in the new building is one of the features of its construction. There are four large standpipes attached to which is an adequate supply of hose. Three large exits are on the west side of the building, leading to a cement roadway along the side of the building, through which the house can be emptied in a few minutes. Red lights will be burning at all times over these exits, as well as over the main doors in the rear of the theater.
  Contractors are now hustling the building to completion for the opening date. Foreman Daniel McKenzie, for the firm of Sager & Hillock, was today finishing the construction work, while seats were being placed in position by Smith L. Carpenter, of the American Seating Company, of New York, and the decorating by George M. Downing was in progress.
  The color scheme of the new theater will be most pleasing. The sidewalls of the auditorium are dark red with green borders and the ceiling and balcony rail are an ivory white with gold trimmings. The stairways and other woodwork are green and the lobby ceiling is finished in a dark gilt.
  Other firms interested in the building of the theater are: heating and plumbing, P. M. Donohue; electric wiring, David-Brown Electric Company; hardware and glass windows, C. J. Rumsey & Company; fire escapes and marquise, Smith & Caffrey, of Syracuse, with D. C. Fleming in charge of the installation; scenery, The New York Studios, placed by William Camph. The architects were Gibbons & Waltz, of this city, with O. H. Waltz in personal charge.
  The stage will be a model of perfection. It will be 30x18 with a height of 38 feet, permitting the use of large scenery.
  The executive force at the new theater will be: general manager, Fred B. Howe; house manager, Charles L. Hamer; ticket office manager, Cyrus R. Campbell; stage manager, John A. Davenport; motion piucture electrician, Roger F. Dennis; door man, Charles W. House; head usher, Frank Caswell.
  The program for Monday night will be announced in tomorrow's Star theater advertisement."

"Star Theater Ready for Opening Monday," Ithaca Daily Journal, September 13, 1911, 3, https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=idj19110913-01.1.3

Star Theatre, C L Hamer mgr, 118-120 E Seneca St

Norton Printing Co, Ithaca, NY

   "Negotiations have practically been completed for the purchase of the Star Theater on East Seneca street by the Ithaca Conservatory of Music and work will be started at an early date to remodel the theater into a modern gymnasium for use by the Ithaca School of Physical Education which is to be established here next fall under the direction of Dr. Albert H. Sharpe, former Cornell athletic coach, who will return to Ithaca to assume charge of the new institution.
  The Star Theater is owned by the Ithaca Theater Company and the purchase was made by George C. Williams in behalf of the Ithaca Conservatory of Music. It is expected that all necessary papers involved in the transaction will be signed within a few days, transfering [sic] the ownership of the theater property to the Conservatory. 

  Plans to make the new gymnasium one of the finest of its kind in this country have already been approved by ‘Al’ Sharpe. In all probability the remodeling will not begin until after the 

commencement exercises of the Conservatory which will be held the latter part of May, in the theater. The gymnasium will be in readiness for Dr. Sharpe when he comes to Ithaca early next fall to open the new school. 

  The Star Theater is declared to be ideally adapted for the gymnasium and little work will be required to effect the change. It is planned to bring the main auditorium floor up to the level of the stage and thus provide a large gymnasium floor 120x65 feet. The stage will not be affected by the plans, it being proposed to use the main floor for gymnasium floor work, and the stage for apparatus work. 

  A temporary stage arrangement will be provided whereby the stage can be used for theatricals, and other public affairs. An arrangement will be made to store the chairs under the main floor for use whenever required. 

  George C. Williams stated today that the gymnasium will be available to public for meetings, athletic contests, dances, etc., on nights when the building is not in use by the School of Physical Education.

  The dressing rooms adjoining the stage will not require remodeling to conform to the gymnasium plans but a system of shower baths and lockers will be added. 

  It is intended to cut off a portion of the balcony, bringing it back to provide more adequate clearance for a basketball court on the main floor. The plans also provide for a lecture room on the balcony floor in the space now occupied by picture a machine booth. Windows will be provided on either side of the gymnasium to afford a natural lighting system.

  The front offices adjacent to the theater entrance will be utilized by Dr. Sharpe and his assistant faculty members.

  Under the proposed plans several different activities can be carried on in the gymnasium at the same time. The stage will be shut off by curtain from the main floor so that the apparatus instruction can be given there, and at the same time, floor work in auditorium and lecture study in the balcony section may be handled without interfering with each other. 

  The Star Theater was built 10 years ago and was a popular vaudeville and motion picture house. More recently it has been leased for public meetings, having been abandoned as a showhouse about a year ago.

  The acquisition of the Star Theater as a gymnasium for the conservatory's new school of physical education marks an important in step the expansion plans of the local institution.

Plans have been announced for the addition of at least three new schools to the conservatory's instruction departments. These include the Boston Lyceum School, which will be brought from Boston to this city, to be known as the Ithaca School of Lyceum Training, for coaching of lecturers, entertainers and concert companies; the Institute of Speech Correction, which will be under the direction of Dr. Frederick Martin, speech defect specialist of New York City, and probably most important of all the Ithaca School of Physical Education, which will have in its faculty Dr. Sharpe, who will be assisted by ‘Jack’ Moakley, veteran Cornell track mentor, and Miss Elsie Hugger, who is now in charge of physical education among the women students of the conservatory. In addition to the physical education course the school will specialize in the training of athletic coaches and directors.

  It was first planned to erect a new gymnasium for the Physical Education School which would front on DeWitt Park. The Star Theater, however, was found to be so ideally adapted to the requirements that Dr. Sharpe enthusiastically acquiesced in the plan for its purchase.

  Gratification was expressed today by citizens that the theater property will not be lost entirely for public use and that it will be available when not in use by the Physical Education School.”

"Ithaca Conservatory Buys Star Theater; To Remodel It For Gymnasium Work," Ithaca Journal-News, April 27, 1921, 5.

Ithaca School of Physical Education Albert H. Sharpe director, 118-120 E Seneca St

H. A. Manning Co, Schenectady, NY

Ithaca College Department of Physical Education Laurence S Hill director 118-120 E Seneca St

H. A. Manning Co, Schenectady, NY

Ithaca College Department of Physical Education - Gymnasium Lawrence S Hill dean 120 E Seneca St

H. A. Manning Co, Schenectady, NY

Ithaca College Department of Physical Education Gymnasium Laurence S Hill dean 120 E Seneca St

H. A. Manning Co, Schenectady, NY