Today marks the 80th birthday of the Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre. Perhaps I'm biased because I'm a Fort Wayne native, but this is truly one of the most beautiful theaters I've ever been to. After seeing the Embassy's magnificent restoration, it's hard for me to believe that it was once on the brink of demolition.
In the Spring of 2009, IU Press will publish The Historic Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre by Dyne L. Pfeffenberger. The book recounts the rescue from demolition and subsequent complete historic restoration of the largest of Fort Wayne's old-time movie palaces. Faced with the loss of a truly beautiful and rare historical landmark, local activists came together in the 1970s to form The Embassy Theatre Foundation. The foundation purchased the abandoned theater and worked toward its faithful restoration and eventual reopening in 1996 as a performing arts center and venue for Broadway shows. Filled with colorful photos and historic accounts of local activism and architectural preservation, The Historic Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre is sure to interest architectural and urban preservationists, regional historians, and theater fans alike.
Photo credit: The Historic Embassy Theatre website