Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida)

Polk Theatre
The historic Polk Theatre
Map
Address121 S Florida Ave,
Lakeland, Florida
Coordinates28°02′36″N 81°57′26″W / 28.0432°N 81.9572°W / 28.0432; -81.9572
OwnerPrivate
TypeAtmospheric
Capacity1,400
Current usePerformance Theatre
Polk Theatre and Office Building
Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida) is located in Florida
Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida)
Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida) is located in the United States
Polk Theatre (Lakeland, Florida)
Location121 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland, Florida
Coordinates28°2′35″N 81°57′28″W / 28.04306°N 81.95778°W / 28.04306; -81.95778
Built1927
ArchitectJames E. Casale, George A. Miller
Architectural styleItalian Renaissance
NRHP reference No.93000446[1]
Added to NRHPMay 27, 1993
Construction
Opened1928
ArchitectJ.E. Casale
Website
http://www.polktheatre.org

The Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Florida is a historic theater located at 121 South Florida Avenue.

The 1,400-seat theatre was built in 1928 after the local business "boom" of the town had ended and despite the fact that the population was only 15,000 inhabitants. In 1982, a group of concerned people banded together to save the theatre from being razed due to low attendance. Local citizens formed a non-profit group, borrowed money, secured a grant from the state, and purchased the theatre for $300,000.[2] The theatre has a mezzanine, a high balcony, a permanent backdrop of a "Venetian piazza," an orchestra pit, a ceiling against which images of twinkling stars are projected, and terrazzo flooring. The air-conditioning system, which was the first in the county,[clarification needed] was a pump that used artesian well water to chill the building.[3]

Under the name Polk Theatre and Office Building, the building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[1]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "Polk Theatre - History of the Theatre". Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  3. ^ "Polk Theatre in Lakeland, FL". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved July 3, 2019.