Latonia Theater

The opulent Latonia Theater on the city’s South Side was constructed by the L.O. Bouquin Co. of Oil City. It opened March 4, 1929, to coincide with President Herbert Hoover inauguration. It had a capacity of 1,460 patrons, seating that included a 500-seat balcony.

A 600-plus pipe Wurlitzer organ was in place and ten-foot-high gilded peacocks of cast plaster were installed in front of the second tier organ openings. Outside, hundreds of electric bulbs blared The Latonia on the front brick wall. The front entrance boasted a red Levanto marble ticket booth.

In the baby boomers’ era, the Latonia regularly featured Pot of Silver drawings on mid-week matinees and contests for kids to pull out a fistful of dimes from a fishbowl on stage.

The theater closed in 1970 and was converted to a furniture store two years later by a private business.

Sources: Hidden Heritage,