Central Park Theater (Chicago, Illinois)

Central Park Theater is a historic theater building at 3531-39 W. Roosevelt Road in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1917, the theater was the first in the Balaban and Katz chain. Chicago architectural firm Rapp and Rapp designed the Spanish Revival building; their design led them to become the main architects for Balaban and Katz, and later for Paramount Pictures. The firm's design featured two prominent towers on its front facade and was decorated with red brick and terra cotta. The theater was also the first in the world to include mechanical air conditioning, which featured prominently in its advertising during the summer. It provided entertainment to both Lawndale's Jewish community and the African-American community that replaced it in the 1950s, and it is one of the few remaining Lawndale business from the early twentieth century. The theatre was the inspiration for the well known Call of Duty Zombies map, Kino Der Toten.[2]

Central Park Theater
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	3531-39 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°51′59″N 87°42′26″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1917
Architect	Rapp and Rapp
Architectural style	Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.	05000873[1]
Added to NRHP	August 10, 2005

In 1971, the theater was converted to the House of Prayer, Church of God in Christ; it has been used as a church ever since.[2] The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 2005.[1]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. Clark, Jean Guarino (March 15, 2005). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Central Park Theater" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved April 28, 2019.