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This theater was housed in the historic Wakefield Memorial Building which has been demolished. The address is approximate as the lot is now empty. Follow the Cinema Treasures link for the complete story on this location. There is also a YouTube video HERE of the partially demolished building that shows the auditorium.
To honor the youth who were summoned to World War I in early-1917, the City of Wakefield, Michigan unanimously decided to do something after the war that ‘would keep fresh in the minds of the younger generations and others to follow the deeds of valor on the battlefields of France’. It was agreed that some kind of lasting memorial should be established to honor those sacrifices that were made in order for democracy and free government to survive on this earth. The people of Wakefield considered that the beautiful tribute to those who served during the Great War was typical of the spirit of patriotism and progress that the town possessed in abundance at that time.
It was decided that a memorial building was the best tribute, but not just any building voiced the community - it was to be ‘the best that could be built.’
In 1924, the 52,000 sq. ft. Wakefield Memorial Building was completed in a town with a population was 4,152. With a price tag of $400,000.00, construction of the building entailed an enormous amount of effort and sacrifice by the citizens of Wakefield. What Wakefield lacked in size it more than compensated for in determination and ambition. Like other towns at that time, Wakefield gave until it hurt during the war and now that it was over, they continued to do so. It was a common saying in Wakefield at that time that perhaps it was ‘the smallest city in the United States with the largest memorial building.’
The Memorial Building housed a large theater with balcony.