This photo of the Columbia Theater at 717 North Fulton Avenue was taken in 1939, shortly after a major renovation of the structure was completed. Originally built in 1910 as a two-story red brick building, the Columbia was one of over thirty small movie houses scattered around Evansville in the early twentieth century. Some of these included the Franklin, Fulton, Woodlawn, North Side, Criterion, Savoy, Royal, and Strand theaters, all of which have been razed.
The new appearance of the Columbia was derived from the Art Deco style popular in the 1930s; over the years, the building’s exterior features have been altered minimally.
After a brief stint as Cinema West, it has been home to the Evansville Civic Theater since the 1980s.
