1915: The Nokomis Theater is Born

According to Minneapolis building permits, the Nokomis Theater was originally constructed in 1915 as a silent moving picture house at a total cost of $8,500. At the time, the small commercial intersection of 38th and Chicago was a bustling neighborhood node along the Chicago Avenue streetcar line. The Nokomis Theater's original architect was Joseph E. Nason who, in addition to having designed other theaters throughout Minnesota and several large apartment buildings in Minneapolis, also designed the Resler Building in Minneapolis’s Historic Warehouse District.

1928: The Nokomis Theater Gets a Facelift

In 1928, under new ownership by local theater proprietors Finkelstein & Rubin, the Nokomis Theater underwent an extensive renovation, which included an addition and remodel. At the time, some of the Twin Cities’ most notable theaters were part of the Finkelstein & Rubin circuit, including the Palace Theater, The Capitol (later Paramount) Theater, and the Minnesota (later Radio City) Theater (which, when it was built in 1926, was the third largest movie theater in the United States). For the 1928 Nokomis Theater renovation, Finkelstein & Rubin sought plans from the building’s original architect, Joseph Nason, as well as drawings from the prominent architectural firm of Ellerbe & Co. It was apparently the latter firm’s vision which most pleased the theater magnates, as it was Ellerbe & Co.'s design which won the commission. Their plans included adding a large, decorative brick, triangular peaked parapet to the upper center portion of the building’s façade; a new 22’ X 11’ decorative metal marquee; interior remodeling; and a 1,200 square foot rear addition that allowed for a total seating capacity of 553—all at a cost of $15,000. Among Ellerbe’s many important commissions at the time were the original buildings for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester; the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio; buildings for the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and buildings of the University of St. Thomas and Hamline University, both in St. Paul; and the St. Paul City Hall and Courthouse.

1952: Closing and Subsequent Uses

After its 1928 expansion and renovation, the Nokomis Theater remained an active part of the neighborhood for several decades until it closed in 1952, almost simultaneously with the streetcar’s final ride down Chicago Avenue. Soon after, the building’s interior was converted into a retail store. The former theater has seen a variety of uses since its 1952 conversion, and most recently served as the home of Wreck Bros. Auto Body Shop.

Today: Preservation and Restoration

The thoughtful preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic Nokomis Theater into the home of the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center sought to unearth, preserve, and restore as many original architectural details as possible. Although much of the interior was significantly altered in 1952, several original details remain, including the floor-to-ceiling subway tiled walls and decorative multi-color hexagon tile flooring of the former lobby (now CAFAC's Nokomis Gallery), plaster arch movie screen proscenium and side sound grills, projection booth, and the building's decorative brick facade, featuring beautiful encaustic tile work in the second floor triangular parapet.