Wells Theatre: A Century of Memories and Transformation in the Heart of the Historic Wells Street Corridor in Fort Wayne
- Sturges Property Group
- Mar 16
- 2 min read
This building, located within the Historic Wells Street Corridor, was built in 1900 and soon after was the first home of the Palace Theatre. In 1917, the name was changed to the Wells Theatre and opened on April 10th of that year showing "The Secret Kingdom." The theater boasted 275 seats and showed a variety of films and double features.
In 1920, ownership of the Wells Theatre changed hands to Alfred Borkenstein, who announced that the building would be extensively remodeled. The theater had a few different addresses over the years and also housed two small storefronts with the theater entrance being between them.
The theatre’s heyday was seen throughout the 50s in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1951, going to a show only cost fourteen CENTS to get in!
The theatre became known as a "cheap babysitter" in the neighborhood. Parents would hand their kids some change and send them to the movies for the day. A lot of the time, the only adults found in the theatre were the workers.
The theatre also became a hot spot for teenagers to hang out or take a date. You could cuddle up to your girlfriend or boyfriend in the air conditioning and watch a movie like "The Blob" or "The Creature From the Black Lagoon." The occasional concert or sock hop was also held here, as well as church services on Sundays.
The Wells Theatre was so popular that booklets of movie tickets were a prize on a local TV show called "Dance Date," Fort Wayne's version of "American Bandstand."
After the theatre closed, locals remember Smokey’s Records occupying the space along with rehearsal rooms for bands. The sloped floor was leveled off and the theatre was partitioned into small rooms for musicians to practice their skills.
Much later, 1441 Wells Street was home to Koehlinger Kruse Security as an office and then was transformed into warehouse space. Today, the intersection of Wells and Fourth Streets is still bustling with businesses like Big Eyed Fish, Honey Plant, Klemm’s On Wells, Hyde Brothers Booksellers, and Three Rivers Music Theatre.
The classic brick building with its iconic green tile roof and green awning is currently available for sale or lease. If you’re looking for a building with a lot of beautiful history in the famous Wells Street Corridor, the iconic former Wells Theatre may be the place!
We would like to give a special shout-out to Kendall Stevens and Amy Schuldt of Sturges Property Group for the photography and copy in this article. If you enjoyed reading this article check back every month to see what new historical property Sturges Property Group has to share.
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