Star Theatre (Argyle, Wisconsin)

Star Theatre, also known as Partridge Hall, is a shop/meeting hall/theater built in 1878 in Argyle, Wisconsin, in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1][2]

Star Theatre
Location200 S. State St., Argyle, Wisconsin
Coordinates42°41′59″N 89°52′2″W
Built1878
ArchitectAlanson Partridge
NRHP reference No.80000154
Added to NRHPNovember 7, 1980[1]

Alanson Partridge was a carpenter who moved from New York to Wisconsin in 1856. In 1878 he built the north wing of the building, with his carpentry shop on the first floor and a large hall above. It was called Partridge Hall, and rented for meetings, dances, and meals. Partridge himself sponsored some events like a Christmas Ball, and advertised it with barkers in the streets. Partridge advocated temperance, so alcohol was not served there. Some time after 1881 he added the south wing.[3]

The building is two stories, frame covered with clapboards. Most of the windows have curved tops and the east gable is decorated with a bell-shaped fascia. The hall on the second floor had a stage.[3]

In 1908 Partridge sold his hall to Argyle's Modern Woodmen of America. They continued to rent out the hall, and it remained a social center of the community, hosting meetings, proms, lectures, roller skating, and basketball games. In 1920 the hall was renamed the Star Theatre, and began to show motion pictures: silent films and talkies.[3]

In 1945 the movies stopped and the building sat idle. For a while it was used as a hatchery. Around 1980 it was restored to house shops and a restaurant.[3]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Star Theatre". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  3. Terry L. Shoptaugh; Diane H. Filipowicz (1980-06-08). "NRHP Registration: Star Theatre". National Park Service. With two photos.
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