Fort Armstrong Theatre
Also known as: Fort Theatre
Why it's listed
Built in 1920 on Third Avenue in Rock Island, this three-story steel-frame movie theatre is faced with stippled Indian-red brick and colorful terra cotta made by the Midland Terra Cotta Company of Chicago. Cervin and Horn, a local architectural firm, developed the design from ideas supplied by owners Walter A. Rosenfield and Joseph Hopp. The building cost more than $500,000 and opened in January 1921, during the silent film era. Its ornament draws on American Indian imagery, including high-relief chiefs' heads, feathers, corn and arrows, to evoke the area's early history. Besides the auditorium, it housed a corner cigar store and soda fountain, a tea room, a dance salon and a photographer's studio. It was valued as an expression of faith in both the film industry and the city's future, and it helped revive the local economy after a postwar slump. After purchase in 1976, it was restored for dinner theatre use between 1977 and 1979, keeping much of its original character.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as Rock Island's early monument to film as a major form of entertainment, and as a sign of confidence in the city's future that helped revive its economy after a post-World War II slump. It also has architectural significance because its interior and exterior ornamentation symbolically represents the early history of Rock Island.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80001407, listed May 23, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1826 3rd Ave., Rock Island |
|---|---|
| County | Rock Island County |
| Listed | May 23, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001407 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Cervin & Horn |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored between 1977 and 1979 at a cost of $225,000 and reused as a dinner theatre; the interior was altered, and a thrust stage and modern sound and lighting systems were added. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Rock Island Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.51013, -90.57177 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80001407.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5470751
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.