Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida)

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Polk Theatre
PolkFL.jpg
The historic Polk Theatre
Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida)
Address121 S Florida Ave,
Lakeland, Florida
Coordinates 28°02′36″N81°57′26″W / 28.0432°N 81.9572°W / 28.0432; -81.9572 Coordinates: 28°02′36″N81°57′26″W / 28.0432°N 81.9572°W / 28.0432; -81.9572
OwnerPrivate
TypeAtmospheric
Capacity 1,400
Current usePerformance Theatre
Polk Theatre and Office Building
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Location121 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland, Florida
Coordinates 28°2′35″N81°57′28″W / 28.04306°N 81.95778°W / 28.04306; -81.95778
Built1927
ArchitectJames E. Casale, George A. Miller
Architectural style Italian Renaissance
NRHP reference No. 93000446 [1]
Added to NRHPMay 27, 1993
Construction
Opened1928
ArchitectJ.E. Casale
Website
http://www.polktheatre.org

The Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Florida is a historic theater located at 121 South Florida Avenue.

Contents

The 1,400-seat theatre was built in 1928 after the local business "boom" of the town had ended and despite the fact that the population was only 15,000 inhabitants. In 1982, a group of concerned people banded together to save the theatre from being razed due to low attendance. Local citizens formed a non-profit group, borrowed money, secured a grant from the state, and purchased the theatre for $300,000. [2] The theatre has a mezzanine, a high balcony, a permanent backdrop of a "Venetian piazza," an orchestra pit, a ceiling against which images of twinkling stars are projected, and terrazzo flooring. The air-conditioning system, which was the first in the county,[ clarification needed ] was a pump that used artesian well water to chill the building. [3]

Under the name Polk Theatre and Office Building, the building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1993. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Polk Theatre - History of the Theatre". Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  3. "Polk Theatre in Lakeland, FL". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved July 3, 2019.

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