Evening journal., 1916-11-20
OLD AVEFUE Theatre
TO BECOME GARAGE

pany will remodel its present quar-
ters and erect an addition on the Ave
nue. Theatre ste. the whole structure
TO have a frontage OF 1856 feet devoted
ent rely to displaying and housing mo-
tor cars.
The theatre property was sold to
the automobile company for s51 800
II has a frontage OF SO feet inches
on Tenth street, where that thorough
fare merges into Delaware avenue
and extends back 113 IL feet to Ham
ltcn Court.
The present garage Of the Whining
ton Automobile Company has front
age on Tenth street of 81 feet and ex-
tends through to Eleventh street, With
a property also leading from 1t into
Orange street.
Harry r. Graham, vice-president
and general manager OF the Whining
ton Automobile Company, today said
the intention is to raze the ruins Of
the theatre as soon as possible and to
erect on the site an addition to the
present garage Of the same exterior
architectural design The first floor
interior Of the new building will be
devoted partly TO a large and we'll
appointed showroom. and IL Is pro-
posed to make many alterations and
improvements to the present garage.
"Our idea is 10 make II one Of the
largest and best equipped garages and
showrOoms In the country" said Mr..
Graham. land the plans for the new
building and for the improvements
will be prepared by architects who
specialize IN that type OF architecture
and who viii give us the very latest
in garage construction and appoint
ments"
The theatre property was sold by
the Delaware Trust Company, which
had title to 1t, the previous owner
having been the Hess estate. in which
some residents of Chester and Phila-
delphia are interested The negotia-
tions In behalf of the purchasers we're
conducted by. Charles G. Kurtz, who
is AT the head of the real estate de-
partment of the Wilmington Trust
The theatre, originally known as
the the Academy Of Music. was origl-
nally built in 1882, and was the
home OF drama for many years par
tlcularly under the management OF
Proctor and Soulier Many VIII.
Of today recalls how when
, boy he enjoyed the thrills of THE
Silver King" or the laughs OF "Pecks
Bad Boy" In the old Academy. The
Academy was destroyed by fire on
October 23. 1888. and was rebuilt.
Since then it had been the setting OF
rnfT
Tres. For awhile 1t did a great bust
less in presenting the "tentwenty-
hirty" meiodramas featured by stage
rain wrecks caused by designing vii
aims or rescues Of the beautiful .
heroine" from saw mills into which
hey were being drawn, or from the
path Of descending pile drivers, into
which peril they had been placed by I
The schemer Of heavy voice and sin 7
sinister mien. "Ah, them was the I
happy days" many a man will recall |
The words Of the urchin Enough In
dams have been KILLED on the old (
Avenue stage to depopulate the plains
u red men
Twice after the playhouse was re-
QUILT II was swept by FIRE. the last time
lelng in January, 1915. when It was
icing used as a moving-picture house
In searching the title for the prop
,rty. Andrew G. Gray and Colonel J.
ernest Smith and Charles W. Smith,
attorneys who looked after the legal
letails Of the sale. found that the
property had charged ownership
Y or in part every year since 1902, the
asst transfer having been by the Hess
state to the Delaware Trust Com
any
The officers OF the Wilmington Au- L
Company are: President,
ohm ]. Raskob. vice-presidents,
larry 7. Graham and y. f. Smith. Jr.;
ecretary and treasurer, Royal G.
Iull. The company took over the
resent garage and business on 0cto-
ler /, and already has broadened out