{"nrhp_refnum":"08000149","name":"Marlow Theatre","other_names":["Law-137-08"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"S. 3rd & Park Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ironton","county":"Lawrence County","state":"OH","lat":38.53422290900005,"lon":-82.68511971299995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-03-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Entertainment/Recreation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A four-story commercial block with an attached three-story theater on a corner lot at S. Third and Park Streets in downtown Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. It was built around 1920, and the theater opened on December 25, 1920.","why_significant":"The building is significant under Criterion A for its contribution to entertainment and commerce in Ironton. Under Criterion C it is a well-preserved example of a late 19th to early 20th century combination commercial/theater building type, and it is the last of that type left in Ironton. It also shows Neo-Classical Revival styling.","narrative":"Built around 1920 on a downtown Ironton corner, this Neo-Classical Revival building combines a four-story brick commercial block with an attached three-story theater. Blonde brick, stone string courses, corner pilasters and a carved stone shield over the theater entry define its exterior. The theater opened on Christmas Day, 1920, and closed in 1952. It was designed for silent films, with space for a live orchestra and occasional touring acts. Inside, the stage, proscenium arch, balcony and plaster detailing survive, while the ground-floor storefronts were altered after the theater closed and again around 1980. Upper floors retain early twentieth century apartments with original wood floors, doors and trim. The building was listed for its role in the city's commercial and entertainment life during the 1920s, when Ironton's economy was diversifying after the decline of the iron industry. It also represents the combination commercial/theater building type, and it is the last such building remaining in Ironton.","period_of_significance":"1920-1952","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival (Neo-Classical Revival)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Ground floor currently used as commercial space, including a news/convenience store. Upper floors and interior finishes are deteriorated, and the theater closed in 1952.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:07.71729-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/08000149.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000149/9f5e1d5daf-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08000149/9f5e1d5daf-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marlow_Theatre_in_Ironton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marlow_Theatre_in_Ironton.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989651","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43161850"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lawrence-county/marlow-theatre-08000149/"}