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Fire destroys historic theater building in downtown Paxton
By Greg Cima
gcima@pantagraph.com
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PAXTON — Fire destroyed the historic Paxton Majestic Theater and damaged three neighboring buildings Tuesday in downtown Paxton. | Photo gallery | Video

Three upper-floor apartments, a bookstore on the ground floor and the theater, which was last used for a play in 2006, were reduced to smoldering rubble by early afternoon. All four residents were safe and accounted for, Paxton Police Chief Robert Bane said.

Albert Sutton, who owns the building on Market Street, said he was more concerned about his tenants than the building.

“I’m not worried about the building as long as they got out,” Sutton said.

Firefighters poured water on the rubble and checked for fire in neighboring buildings into the afternoon.

A senior center to the south had heavy smoke and water damage, and a wall was damaged by the collapse of the theater, Paxton Fire Capt. Bobby Kingren said.

A wall of the Tin Pan restaurant, which was across an alley from the theater’s north side, also was damaged by the theater’s collapse, and a two-story former law office north of the restaurant had a small fire in the attic caused by heat from the blaze, Kingren said.

City workers hanging Christmas decorations downtown called 911 and reported seeing smoke and fire about 10:07 a.m., Bane said.

The street was closed, and Paxton officers evacuated homes and businesses in the surrounding block, Bane said.

A column of smoke was visible from at least 10 miles away and a dark cloud was visible from Gibson City to the west before the fire was extinguished. At least 100 bystanders watched the fire.

About 50 firefighters from Paxton, Rantoul, Ludlow, Loda, Elliott and Buckley fought the blaze, Kingren said.

Kim Slater of Paxton said she parked at a gas station across the street when another woman spotted smoke on the south side of the building. She ran into City Hall and told people there to call 911, she said, and smoke was billowing from the building about the same time firefighters arrived.

Standing beside his wife, Freda, Sutton watched firefighters spray water on the debris.

The building had been in good shape, Sutton said, adding he hoped to get a theater group to put it to use. He bought the building as an investment and was collecting rent in his retirement, he said.

Sutton said he has lived in the area since 1973, and he had gone to live shows there in decades past.

“They had good plays,” Sutton said. “You’d hate to miss anything like that.”

Charles Schroeder, who owned Past and Future Books and Collectibles, said his ground-floor store was closed at the time, but he was at the gas station across the street when he saw smoke on the side of the building above the senior center. He rang the buzzers to all of the apartments to alert tenants, he said.

“There was no fire in my store at all” in the beginning, Schroeder said. “I thought they were going to be able to save it, but that fire just got out of control.”

“It’s just a total loss,” Schroeder said. “There’s nothing left.”

Kingren said there was heavy smoke in all corners of the building and visible flames in the front when firefighters arrived. Firefighters didn’t go into the building through the front because the marquee, which was suspended by cables, concerned them, he said.

The interior was “cut up” and difficult to navigate, he added.

Wind added difficulty for firefighters, who tried to keep the blaze from spreading to other buildings, Kingren said.

American Red Cross members were downtown to offer help to the displaced residents. The residents’ status was unclear Tuesday night.

Take a look
Firefighters battle a fire in the closed Paxton movie theatre, next to the Paxton City Hall on Market Street, on Tuesday, November 13, 2007. The building had three apartments, the occupants were reported to be evacuated and uninjured. PANTAGRAPH/STEVE SMEDLEY
The Paxton Theater is seen in this photo taken Nov. 6, 2007 in downtown Paxton. (Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)
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Reader comments on this story - 15 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

former resident wrote on Nov 24, 2007 11:15 AM:

" The firefight was well documented in the News Gazette. It just looked to me like they had time to ventilate, and therefore limit damage to a gutting. (you cut a hole in the roof, knock out windows, etc. to keep the temperatures inside from getting too high - ask any pro...) I know they did the best they new how, tho. Anyone else with downtown property should be worried. "

I saw an article wrote on Nov 14, 2007 4:35 PM:

" that said the theater opened in 1913. "

To:re:awe to bad wrote on Nov 14, 2007 9:27 AM:

" Does meents have a shop out there that he allows people to tour or meet him when he is not out driving? MAX D ROCKS "

MHL wrote on Nov 14, 2007 8:57 AM:

" One of my first jobs as a teenager was working at the theatre. In fact that is where I meet my husband 45 yrs ago when he came down with the new owner and ran the projectors. A few years ago my husband had Royce Baier take him down to look at the theatre and he said nothing had changed. Everything looked the same. Even the projectors were still there. When we come back to visit we always drive down Main to look at the old theatre. "

Sad to see wrote on Nov 14, 2007 7:48 AM:

" I saw many $1 movies there growing up. The first time I ever kissed a girl, it was in the back row of the Paxton Theater. "

Re: awe too bad~ wrote on Nov 14, 2007 7:07 AM:

" Max D was always an attraction for Paxton! Awsome you brought that up! Too bad for the theatre. I hope it gets re built. "

how wrote on Nov 13, 2007 10:55 PM:

" old was this place. i'd heard 150 yrs old. is that right? "

Foundation Savers wrote on Nov 13, 2007 9:56 PM:

" Great Work Foundation Savers of Paxton Illinois. "

Devastating wrote on Nov 13, 2007 7:30 PM:

" This is extremely sad. So many children and adults have acted in numerous plays at this theatre and many of the older generations have fond memories of going to the big screen for a quarter back in the day. It is so sad, but thankfully no one was injured. "

Grew up there wrote on Nov 13, 2007 5:34 PM:

" Talked to my mom today (who still lives there). She worked there - her first job - was there going into a matinee learning that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor, working VJ night until they closed the theater because they were afraid someone might throw something through the screen. I also have memories there of dates and just hanging out. It's really a shame this had to happen. "

EP FF wrote on Nov 13, 2007 4:57 PM:

" looks like they did a good attack and overhaul for it not to spread , good work guys "

awe too bad wrote on Nov 13, 2007 4:26 PM:

" now the big attraction in paxton is "maximun destruction" "

Caution wrote on Nov 13, 2007 1:28 PM:

" Any home or person who is in direct contact with all that smoke are in danger of many health risks. Seldom told to people that all that paint/plastics and chemicals are very very deadly and the ash/dust lays in and on youre property for years. We all know that only cigarettes cause health problems. Right! "

Jason Ronna wrote on Nov 13, 2007 12:40 PM:

" The Fire Department did one heck of a job containing that fire so it wouldn't spread. Kudos to them for the good work and dedication that they provide to our community. "

Ex-Paxton Resident... wrote on Nov 13, 2007 12:16 PM:

" This is sad....there were a lot of memories in that old theater. "
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