{"nrhp_refnum":"05000755","name":"Fairborn Theatre","other_names":["Fairborn Twin Cinemas","Fairborn Performing Arts Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"34 S. Broad St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fairborn","county":"Greene County","state":"OH","lat":39.81945272100006,"lon":-84.02768391499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-07-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Art Moderne movie theater at 34 S. Broad Street (Route 444) in Fairborn, Ohio, opened in January 1948 for Chakeres Incorporated. It has a steel frame and yellow brick walls.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the theater is significant under Criterion C as a post-World War II example of Art Moderne design. It is a regional example of a roadside cinema, with its marquee, sign tower and lighting built to attract passing motorists. It is one of only three Art Moderne theaters listed in Ohio and retains many original exterior and interior features.","narrative":"Fairborn Theatre, at 34 S. Broad Street on Route 444, is a two-story Art Moderne movie house built in 1948 and opened by Chakeres Incorporated on January 27 of that year. Designed by architects Lloyd Zeller and Herman Hunter and built by C.W. Fry Construction Company, it has a steel frame, yellow brick walls and a curved, undulating front wall. A large lighted marquee with flashing comedy and tragedy masks and a tall sign tower were meant to catch the eye of passing drivers. Inside, a circular lobby with a recessed ceiling leads to a foyer with a World War II-era mural of airplanes, a soldier and a WAC. The auditorium was split into two cinemas in 1973. The theater is listed for its architecture. It shows how commercial buildings along highways responded to automobile traffic and to the population boom around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It is one of three Art Moderne theaters listed in Ohio. The building is currently vacant.","period_of_significance":"1948","architect_builder":"Architects: Lloyd Zeller and Herman Hunter; Builder: C.W. Fry Construction Company","architectural_style":"Modern Movement/Art Moderne","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Described as presently vacant with some decay, including plaster damage and roof leakage; exterior elevations appear to be in good condition.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:07.765618-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/05000755.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000755/54e0fbfe2c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000755/54e0fbfe2c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fairborn_Theatre.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fairborn_Theatre.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988702","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairborn_Theatre","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5430033"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/greene-county/fairborn-theatre-05000755/"}