{"nrhp_refnum":"98000318","name":"Maumee Theater","other_names":["Maumee Indoor Theater"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"601 Conant St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Maumee","county":"Lucas County","state":"OH","lat":41.56475346500008,"lon":-83.65531190799999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-04-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"An indoor movie theater at 601 Conant Street (U.S. 24 and Conant) in Maumee, Lucas County, Ohio, built in 1946 in the Art Moderne style, with a barber shop and a second shop flanking the entrance.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a rare regional example of a postwar movie house in high-style Art Moderne, with a largely intact exterior and interior. It is the only vintage theater left in Maumee and one of few built in the region after the war. It also served as a local landmark and a symbol of postwar recovery.","narrative":"Built in 1946 at the corner of Conant Street and the Anthony Wayne Trail (U.S. 24) in Maumee, Ohio, this 525-seat movie theater is a commercial example of Art Moderne design. Its steel-frame, concrete-block structure is covered in multicolored enameled metal tiles and topped by a lighted marquee and a tall floral-decorated parapet. Two small shops flank the entrance, including a barber shop that retains its original built-in furniture. Inside, curved wood partitions, colored cove lighting, gathered fabric wall coverings and balcony restrooms with arched brick entries remain largely intact. Rufus E. Young, a local theater operator, had the building constructed after plans from 1943 were delayed by the war. It is the only vintage theater left in Maumee and one of few built in the region in the postwar years. The nomination cites its bold streamlined styling and its role as a local landmark. The theater closed in 1996 and was sold the following year.","period_of_significance":"1946","architect_builder":"Builder: Chappelear Const. Co., Sylvania, Ohio","architectural_style":"Modern Movement/Moderne (Art Moderne)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The theater closed in December 1996 after a heating system failure and was sold at auction in January 1997; the new owner was studying reuse. The barber shop remains in operation and the north shop is vacant.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:06.840372-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/98000318.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000318/73cbba4bf3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000318/73cbba4bf3-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maumee_Theater.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maumee_Theater.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989925","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43162496"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lucas-county/maumee-theater-98000318/"}