The Historic Dixon Theatre has an interesting past, an exciting present and a promising future.
In 1920, Leonard G. Rorer, then manager of Dixon’s Family Theatre, announced he had purchased the site of the old Opera House in downtown Dixon “for the purpose of erecting the finest show house to be found between Chicago and Des Moines and from Rockford to LaSalle”. The Dixon Opera House had opened in 1876 and was the entertainment center of the area until it was destroyed by fire in early 1920.
On March 15, 1922, the Dixon Evening Telegraph announced in its headline the opening of the new Dixon Theatre. A large picture of the theatre’s façade had a prominent position on the front page and several columns were devoted to a description of the interior features and decorations.
In 1922, the Dixon Theatre cost $200,000.00 to build and the local architect was William J. McAlpine, who also designed the Lee County Courthouse, the Old Post Office, and the Dixon National Bank among other public buildings.
The entire community watched the construction of the theater with pride and was impressed with the permanent construction, being entirely constructed of fireproof materials, brick, terra cotta, concrete and steel. “Quality throughout” was the slogan of the management in planning and erecting the fireproof theater. The building differed in design from most theaters of the time in that it had an apartment above the entrance lobby and the stores on either side of the lobby.
The architectural treatment of the interior had an understated elegance with finely detailed decorative features. The crowning feature of the theater was a large dome in the center of the ceiling with the effect of the sky.
Early show bills featured several vaudeville acts, a seven-piece orchestra and frequently a motion picture. A fine organ accompanied the early silent films and talking pictures arrived in 1929. Live entertainment soon ended.
The Rorer family owned and operated the theater for nearly 30 years. In 1984, the final movie was shown and the theater closed. In October 1985, Dixon Theatre Renovation, Inc. signed a lease-purchase agreement and the Dixon Theatre once again became a showcase for the performing arts. The DTRI group knew the necessity of using the old theater to prevent further deterioration while plans went forward to renovate the building.
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