- Renaissance Theatre (Mansfield, Ohio)
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For other uses, see Ohio Theatre.Ohio Theatre
Front of the theater after the expansion in March 2011.
Location: 136 Park Ave., W., Mansfield, Ohio Coordinates: 40°45′32″N 82°31′16″W / 40.75889°N 82.52111°WCoordinates: 40°45′32″N 82°31′16″W / 40.75889°N 82.52111°W Area: less than one acre Built: 1928 Architectural style: Neo-Classical Governing body: Private MPS: Park Avenue West MRA NRHP Reference#: 83002040[1] Added to NRHP: May 31, 1983 The Renaissance Theatre, previously known as the Ohio Theatre, is a restored movie palace-type theater located at 136 Park Ave. W in Mansfield, Ohio. The 1,600 seat theater opened on January 19, 1928 as the Ohio Theatre and serves today as the largest performing arts center in North-Central Ohio. The Renaissance is home to the Miss Ohio Scholarship Pageant, the state competition for the Miss America Pageant.
Contents
History
The Miss Ohio Pageant played a significant role in the preservation of the Ohio Theatre. Mansfield originally hosted the Miss Ohio Pageant at the theater from 1959 through 1962. After Sandusky, Ohio's Jacqueline Meyer, Miss Ohio 1963, was crowned Miss America 1963, the Miss Ohio Pageant was relocated to the Ballroom Pavilion at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky. In 1975, the pageant returned to Mansfield, first to Malabar High School Auditorium from 1975 through 1978, then to the Madison Theatre in 1979. In 1980, it was decided to televise the pageant. Because of inadequate stage depth and backstage space at the Madison Theatre, the Miss Ohio Board of Directors decided to move the pageant back to Mansfield's then-abandoned Ohio Theatre, reopening the facility and sprucing it up for the pageant's first televised broadcast. The pageant's return to the Ohio Theatre was the initial event that eventually led to the total renovation of the theater and its reincarnation as the Renaissance Theatre. (For more on the theater's history, go here). The Miss Ohio Pageant has been held at the theater continuously since 1980.
In August 1980, the Ohio Theatre became The Renaissance Theatre. In January 1997, the theater's name was changed to The Renaissance when it merged with the Mansfield Symphony. On May 31, 1983, The Renaissance was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[2] The original building was completely restored in 1985 at a cost of $2.25 million.
During the summer of 2008, construction began on expanding the Renaissance Theatre with the demolition of the condemned building that neighbored the theatre.[3] Construction continued throughout the following year and the addition was opened into the existing structure in November 2009. The new porton of the theatre remained closed to the public until January 30, 2010, during the Grand Opening Gala. Grammy award winner, Sylvia McNair, performed for guests after dinner which was held in the new lobby. The new addition included the addition of an elevator that provided handicap access to all parts of the theatre for the first time, eleven offices for staff, a permanent music library for the Mansfield Symphony and Symphony Chorus, expanded restroom facilities, new concession area, two meeting spaces, and a coat check station.[4]
On June 27, 2010, the marquee, that had been placed on the building during the 1984 restoration, was removed due to safety concerns. It was donated to the Mansfield Sailors and Soldiers Museum to be put on display at its original site, the area where the Madison Theatre stood. A new electronic marquee was installed on the new addition, during the 2008 expansion, to take the place of the Madison Marquee.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-03-10. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ "About Us - History". The Renaissance. http://mansfieldtickets.com/content/view/67. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
- ^ a b "Contribute - Capital Campaign". The Renaissance. http://mansfieldtickets.com/contribute/capital-campaign. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
External links
The Renaissance before the expansion in April 2008. The Madison Theatre marquee, that had been placed on the building in 1984, was removed in 2010.
U.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Lists by states Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • WyomingLists by territories Lists by associated states Other 
Category:National Register of Historic Places • 
Portal:National Register of Historic PlacesCategories:- Mansfield, Ohio
- Concert halls in the United States
- Theatres in Ohio
- Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
- Movie palaces
- 1928 architecture
- Neoclassical architecture in Ohio
- Buildings and structures in Richland County, Ohio
- Visitor attractions in Richland County, Ohio
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