The Roland New Theater appears to have been built in 1906, the only other opera house in town other than the Marion Opera House at 400 N. Market St. It was located conveniently across Union Street from the old “hitchrack”, just off the northeast corner of the square. You might note in the photograph that lots of buggies and horses are tied up at the “hitchrack” across the street which is, to this day, still a city parking lot.

The theater was run by Edgar E. Clark, owner of the Silver King Café (701 W. Main St.) and Clark’s Hotel (214 N. Market St.). Live performances and road shows were hosted here through the early 1920’s. The premiere opening of the Orpheum Theater in January 1922 and the advent of “talking pictures” spelled the demise of this business. The building was leased in October of 1922 by A.P. Madison who attempted to bring the theater back to life by renovating and calling his operation the Strand Theater.

The building in 1928-29 was occupied by Marion City Dairy followed in 1939 by the Ohio Valley Creamery. In the 1940’s the building was demolished and a new state of the art A & P grocery store was opened (Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company). The A&P building to the best of my knowledge is still intact and currently remodeled and serving as Planters Church in 2012.

(Photo from Souvenir Book, WCHS and Sesquicentennial History; data from fire reports and city directories)