Odeon Theater
Built on a former tanning yard on the west side of Driggs Avenue, between South 3rd and South 4th Streets, the Odeon was built in 1852 by Alfred & Henry Kemp and opened on August 25th of that year.
The theater was operated by Alfred Theall, and included a concert hall on the 1st floor and a ballroom on the second floor. The ground floor housed retail space.
In 1858, Samuel Lewis, who used the ground floor to manufacture hats, took charge of the theater and ran it for three years, until the Civil War broke out, and the building was used to muster an artillery unit and as the barracks and drill room for a series of units, until the armory at Metropolitan & Bedford Avenue was erected.
Following the war, the building was used for political meetings, rollar skating, dancing, for performances by traveling shows. The upper floor reopened by Samuel LEWIS, as a ballroom under the same name, The Odeon.
Richard M. Hooley bought the Odeon in 1868, sold it again the following year. Later the building became known as Seaver's Opera House, but failed and the builing was sold under foreclosure in 1870 to James RODWELL, Thos. F. JACKSON, and Henry WATERMAN. They did some changes and called it Apollo Hall, staying such until 1878 when the struture was rebuilt.
The Rev. S. Miller HAGERMAN held services there before the hall was rebuilt. The building now converted into a theatre was leased to Thos. THEALL, who formed a partnership with Henry WILLIAMS under the name THEALL & WILLIAMS. The place re-opened, September 16, 1878 as THEALL & WILLIAMS Novelty Theatre.
Where the former ice cream garden was, was now a vacant lot, which was used for the stage entrance. The CONWAY sisters, their father & mother played, The Two Orphans at the Novelty Theatre. In 1883 the name was then changed to PROCTOR'S Novelty Theatre, at #258 Driggs Street, run by Thomas PROCTOR.
In 1896, The American Theatre, and towards the end, ADLER'S Novelty Theatre. At various times others had run the place, J. S. BERGER, RAYNOR, Phillip GROVER, who came after RAYNOR & EDDY. The building by then known as #732 Driggs was demolished in 1917.
