Sections of The English Theatre, formerly known as The English Hotel and Opera House, are demolished in this May 1949 photo. The Victorian-era building stood at the northwest quadrant of Monument Circle from 1880 until it was razed to be replaced by a J.C. Penney store (later the Anthem Inc. headquarters). The building was constructed by the English family in three sections: first an opera house, then a hotel was built in two sections around the opera house. A large balcony on the building was used by politicians to address crowds gathered on Monument Circle.
Sources: Indiana Historical Society, historicindianapolis.com
Credit: This photo is courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society and is part of the Larry Foster Collection. More images are available at images.indianahistory.org.
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