Opening Scrapbook Photos (Courtesy of the Riverview Theater)
Draft National Register Application:
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter “N/A” for “not applicable.” For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.
1. Name of Property
Historic name: _Terrace Theatre_____________________________________________
Other names/site number: ______________________________________
Name of related multiple property listing:
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(Enter “N/A” if property is not part of a multiple property listing
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2. Location
Street & number: _3508 France Avenue North____
City or town: _Robbinsdale___ State: __Minnesota___ County: __Hennepin__________
Not For Publication: Vicinity:
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3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended,
I hereby certify that this nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.
In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following
level(s) of significance:
___national ___statewide ___local
Applicable National Register Criteria:
___A ___B ___C ___D
Signature of certifying official/Title: Date
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State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government
In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria.
Signature of commenting official: Date
Title : State or Federal agency/bureau
or Tribal Government
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4. National Park Service Certification
I hereby certify that this property is:
entered in the National Register
determined eligible for the National Register
determined not eligible for the National Register
removed from the National Register
other (explain:) _____________________
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Signature of the Keeper Date of Action
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5. Classification
Ownership of Property
(Check as many boxes as apply.)
Private:
Public – Local
Public – State
Public – Federal
Category of Property
(Check only one box.)
Building(s)
District
Site
Structure
Object
Number of Resources within Property
(Do not include previously listed resources in the count)
Contributing Noncontributing
____1_________ _____________ buildings
_____________ _____________ sites
_____________ _____________ structures
_____________ _____________ objects
______1_______ ______0________ Total
Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register ____0_____
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6. Function or Use
Historic Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.)
_Movie Theatre______
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Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.)
_Vacant____________
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7. Description
Architectural Classification
(Enter categories from instructions.)
_Modern Movement__
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Materials: (enter categories from instructions.)
Principal exterior materials of the property:
Roof: Synthetic
Walls: Brick, Stone, Glass
Foundation: Brick
Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current physical appearance and condition of the property. Describe contributing and noncontributing resources if applicable. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, type, style, method of construction, setting, size, and significant features. Indicate whether the property has historic integrity.)
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Summary Paragraph
The Terrace Theatre, located at 3508 France Avenue North in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, was constructed in 1951. Designed by noted theatre architects Liebenberg & Kaplan, for prominent Twin Cities movie exhibitors Sydney and William Volk, the modern design of the Terrace Theatre was a departure from Liebenberg & Kaplan’s earlier Art Deco and Streamline Moderne style theatres. The two-story Terrace Theatre has an irregular geometric massing. Exterior materials include red and buff brick, stone, glass block windows, colored glass windows, and metal canopy. The primary entrance is located at the northeast corner of the north façade, beneath a masonry and glass tower capped with an illuminated sign proclaiming “Terrace.” At the interior, the building featured a variety of gathering spaces – a foyer, various lounges, and the double height theatre auditorium – as well as office space for the building’s owners, Sidney and William Volk. At the interior, the building retains its primary public spaces, including lobby, foyer, and auditorium. During the building’s period of significance, interior spaces were highly finished, with every detail planned by Liebenberg & Kaplan and the Volk brothers. While most of the interior finishes, fixtures, and furniture have been removed, widely published historic photographs and extensive project files held at the University of Minnesota’s Northwest Architectural Archives have captured the elegance and materiality of the Terrace.
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Narrative Description
Location and Site Description
The Terrace Theatre, located at 3508 France Avenue North in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, was constructed in 1951. The Terrace was designed by noted theatre architects Liebenberg & Kaplan, for prominent Twin Cities’ movie exhibitors Sydney and William Volk; the modern design was a departure from Liebenberg & Kaplan’s earlier Art Deco and Streamline Moderne style theatres.
The Terrace Theatre is two stories, with a partial finished basement, flat membrane roof and an irregular geometric massing. At the east façade, the site slopes away from the building, leaving the basement level exposed. Exterior materials include red and buff brick, stone, glass block windows, colored glass windows, a metal canopy, and a brick and glass sign tower topped with an illuminated sign reading “Terrace.” The building, which at the time of its construction was highly visible from all sides, is designed to be viewed “in the round.” Each façade features highly designed architectural details.
The building sits on a 29,194 square foot parcel, bounded by France Avenue North to the west, surface parking lots to the north and south, and the Terrace Mall to the east. The immediate site slopes up slightly from south to north, with the surrounding properties sloping down dramatically to the south and east. Newspaper articles that date to the theatre’s construction claimed that the Terrace’s hillside site, “really shows it to extreme advantage,” making the Terrace visible “from any point in town.”
Commercial properties are located to the north, south, and east of the Terrace; most notably the Terrace Mall, which was constructed in the 1980s, to the immediate east. To the west is a residential neighborhood, with homes generally built between the 1910s and 1950s.
Exterior
The Terrace Theatre is a modern building with an irregular geometric massing. While the building’s primary entrance is located at the northeast corner of the north façade, the building, which at the time of its construction was highly visible from all sides, was designed to be viewed “in the round.” The main volume of the building, housing the public lobby, foyer, and auditorium, is clad in a combination of stone and buff brick. A smaller portion of the building, which projects to the east, is clad in stone and red brick. This portion of the building houses the Theatre’s back of house spaces—including storage space, mechanical rooms, and a garage at the basement; restrooms on the first level; and office space at the second level (Figures 2, 3, 4).
North Façade
The building is anchored at its northeast corner by the primary entrance, a red brick and glass sign tower surmounted by a “Terrace” sign (Image 001). The rectangular red brick sign tower projects above the roof level of the rest of the building; the sign tower’s east and west faces are made up of glass panels that can be back-lit at night. These panels are currently covered with plywood at the exterior. The top of the sign tower ends in a chimney stack and a centrally lit metal “Terrace” sign that faces east and west.
To the west of the sign tower, at the north façade, is the primary entrance and ticket window (currently covered with plywood). The building’s primary entrance is located below a projecting flat metal canopy that also extends across the sign tower and wraps to the east façade of the building (Images 002 and 003). During the period of significance, the canopy was lit at its exterior and bottom faces (Figure 13).
The remainder of the north façade is clad in two stretches of rough faced stone alternating with three banks of fixed, metal frame windows, filled with square panes of colored glass (Image 001, Figure 23). The banks of windows are installed at an angle, where at the top they are recessed from the main plane of the façade and then project back out to be flush with the rest of the façade by the time they reach street level.
At the second level, the north façade is clad in buff brick laid in common bond. Three small square fixed windows are located above the central bank of first level windows.
East Façade
At the east façade, a projecting section of building clad in red brick extends south from the sign tower (Images 004, 005, 006). This section of the building houses offices at the second level, restrooms at the first level, and drive-in garage access at the basement level (Figures 2, 3, and 4).
At this location, the site grade changes, leaving the basement level exposed. At the basement level the building is clad in rough faced stone. Three sets of swing garage doors and a single swing man door are present (Image 005).
At the first level, there is a bank of clear glass windows that recall the colored glass windows at the north façade. This bank of windows angles in the opposite direction of those at the north façade – angling in from the main plane of the façade at street level and returning to flush with the façade, where they terminate just below the bottom of the projecting metal canopy. This bank of windows is currently covered with plywood.
The remainder of the east façade is clad in buff brick. At the southern end of the building, the façade steps in twice. These steps are each demarcated by two columns of individual glass blocks (Image 006).
South Façade
The south façade is clad in buff brick (Image 008, 009). A secondary exit is located on the east corner of this façade; double doors and a concrete straight run stair with a steel pipe guardrail provide egress to paved parking at the southeast corner of the lot. Two metal arched exterior lights extend from the building at the second level.
The east façade’s step backs are visible from this façade.
West Façade
The west façade is also clad in buff brick (Image 010). Moving south to north, the façade steps out to the west three times. The first two of these steps (at the southern end of this façade) are each demarcated by two columns of individual glass blocks, like those found at the east façade. The third step out (at the northern end of this façade) accommodates a secondary entrance (Image 011). Four metal arched exterior lights extend from the building at the second level.
Interior
The Terrace Theatre closed its doors in 1999 and has been vacant since. The authors of this nomination were not able to gain access to the interior of the building. The interior building description is based on official building photos released to the public by the current owner, Inland Development, LLC, via the City of Robbinsdale.
At the interior, the main volume of the Terrace is divided into a series of large public spaces. At the ground level, the foyer and sunken lounge are located to the south of the main entry (Images 012 and 013). These spaces are defined by a sloped ceiling – that follows the line of the auditorium floor. In addition to the sloped ceiling, character defining features of the foyer, lobby, and lounge area include the variation in floor level, mid-century light fixtures, exposed stone and brick, and a stone fireplace.
To the south of the foyer and lobby, the auditorium is also extant (Image 014). Originally a single large double-height auditorium seating 1,300 people, the space was subdivided in 1988 into two smaller 200-seat spaces at the south (rear) and a 600-seat space at the front (north). Despite these divisions, the function, orientation, and characteristic sloping floor are extant in all areas of the auditorium. Additionally, the short flight of steps rising to the level of the original screen is extant within the 600-seat space (Image 014).
Integrity
The Terrace Theatre retains very good exterior integrity and, based on photographic evidence, sufficient interior integrity at its most character defining interior spaces – the auditorium and public foyer and lobby. The Terrace Theatre retains sufficient levels of all seven aspects of integrity to convey its history from its period of significance, 1951. The seven aspects of integrity are discussed separately, as follows:
Location
The Terrace Theatre has not been moved and retains integrity of location.
Design
The Terrace Theatre retains integrity of design at its exterior and interior spaces. The exterior retains its dynamic composition and massing as conveyed by its irregular massing and various cladding materials. The building also retains its original main entry sequence, sign tower with sign, and fenestration patterns (though some are currently covered with plywood). At the interior, the foyer and lobby retain their multi-level level open floor plan, angled ceiling, light fixtures, and fire places. Likewise, auditorium retains its orientation, ceiling height and sloped floor.
Setting
Integrity of setting remains intact. The Terrace Theatre was constructed to the east of an extant residential development in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Commercial development to the north, south, and east of the theatre, while not present during the property’s period of significance, was anticipated for the area, and is appropriate to the setting of this suburban movie theatre.
Materials
The exterior materials that characterize the Terrace Theatre —red and buff brick, stone, metal, and glass block—remain intact and convey integrity. It is likely that the building’s historic colored glass windows are also extant, under a layer of plywood at the interior and exterior. At the interior, the lobby and foyer retain original materials including mid-century light fixtures, a stone fireplace, and exposed stone and brick walls.
Workmanship
The Terrace Theatre retains integrity of workmanship. The building was designed as an innovative modern movie theatre by notable theatre architects Liebenberg & Kaplan and constructed to their specifications by Minneapolis contractors Bonander and Co. for theatre owners Sidney and William Volk. Based on existing photographic documentation, it appears that some interior finishes have been removed and that integrity of workmanship may be compromised at the interior. At the exterior, the theatre’s high level of workmanship remains intact.
Feeling
The Terrace Theatre retains integrity of feeling. Through its continued use as a theatre through 1999, and through the retention of its historic exterior materials, dramatic signage, interior lobby, foyer, and auditorium spaces, the Terrace Theatre evokes the feeling of a movie theatre from the mid-twentieth century.
Association
The Terrace Theatre retains integrity of association. As an active movie theatre from 1951-1999, the Terrace Theatre was known and used by residents of Robbinsdale and the surrounding area. In recent years, historic preservation advocates have worked to raise awareness and support of the theatre, ensuring that it remains in the public consciousness. Today, the building is still known as the Terrace Theatre, and is widely associated with the glamour of mid-century movie houses.
Conclusion
The Terrace Theatre, located at 3508 France Avenue North in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, was constructed in 1951. The Terrace was designed by noted theatre architects Liebenberg & Kaplan, for prominent Twin Cities’ movie exhibitors Sydney and William Volk; the modern design was a departure from the firm’s earlier Art Deco and Streamline Moderne theatres. Integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association all remain intact, and convey the building’s history from its period of significance, 1951.
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8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria
(Mark “x” in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register
listing.)
A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.
B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.
C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction.
D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
Criteria Considerations
(Mark “x” in all the boxes that apply.)
A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes
B. Removed from its original location
C. A birthplace or grave
D. A cemetery
E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure
F. A commemorative property
G. Less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years
Areas of Significance
(Enter categories from instructions.)
Architecture_________
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Period of Significance
_1951______________
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Significant Dates
__1951_____________
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Significant Person
(Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.)
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Cultural Affiliation
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Architect/Builder
Liebenberg & Kaplan (Architect)
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Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes level of significance, applicable criteria, justification for the period of significance, and any applicable criteria considerations.)
The Terrace Theatre, located at 3508 France Avenue in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, is historically significant under National Register of Historic Places Criterion C for its representation of mid-twentieth century modernist movie theatre design. The theatre, designed by noted theatre architects Liebenberg & Kaplan, for prominent Twin Cities movie exhibitors Sydney and William Volk The Terrace Theatre’s area of significance is Architecture; its level of significance is local. The Terrace Theatre’s period of significance is 1951, the year of its construction.
The Terrace Theatre marked a break from the design language used in Liebenberg & Kaplan’s earlier indoor theater designs, which were typically in the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles. Liebenberg & Kaplan was one of the most prominent architecture firms in Minneapolis during the mid-twentieth century and were particularly well-known for their movie theatre designs. The Terrace Theatre is an outstanding example of modern theater design, is a distinct design within the body of work of Liebenberg & Kaplan, and is identified by historians as one of the first “ultramodern theatres in America.” Through its brick and glass tower crowned by a pair of illuminated signs, its drive-in truck access, and its innovative interior spaces including an expansive foyer, 1,300-seat auditorium with rear sound-proof “crying rooms,” and a “television room” intended to extend the customer experience after a show, the Terrace Theatre embodies the futuristic, space-age design trends that became popular in American architecture of the 1950s and 1960s.
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Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance.)
The Terrace Theatre, located at 3508 France Avenue in Robbinsdale, Minnesota was designed by noted theatre architects Liebenberg & Kaplan, for prominent Twin Cities’ movie exhibitors Sydney and William Volk. The modernist Terrace Theatre marked a break from the design language used in Liebenberg & Kaplan’s earlier indoor theater designs, which were typically in the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles. The Terrace Theatre is an outstanding example of modern theater design, is a distinct design within the body of work of Liebenberg & Kaplan, and is identified by historians as one of the first “ultramodern theatres in America.” Upon opening, the Terrace received critical acclaim for its “bold architectural lines [and] extensive patron services.”
Liebenberg & Kaplan
Architect Jacob “Jack” Liebenberg received his undergraduate architecture degree from the University of Minnesota and went on to earn his master’s degree from Harvard University via the prestigious McKim Fellowship. While at Harvard, Liebenberg was awarded the Prix de Rome, however World War I prevented him from traveling to Europe to take advantage of the prize. Following the war, he returned to Minneapolis and taught at the University of Minnesota in the School of Architecture. In the early 1920s, Liebenberg entered into a partnership with fellow University of Minnesota alum Seeman Kaplan.
The partnership, known as Liebenberg & Kaplan, became one of the most successful and prolific architectural firms based in the Twin Cities. Liebenberg & Kaplan designed a broad variety of building types, became particularly renowned as theater architects, and were frequently sought after as architectural acousticians. The firm first entered the movie theater design business by remodeling the Arion Theater in Northeast Minneapolis (demolished). Liebenberg & Kaplan’s big break came near the end of the 1920s, when its design for the Temple Israel Synagogue (1928) in southeast Minneapolis caught the eyes of Twin Cities theater owners Rubenstein and Kaplan, who immediately commissioned the firm to design the Granada Theater (1928, now the Suburban World) in Minneapolis.
By 1951, Liebenberg & Kaplan had designed over 200 theaters. These commissions were spread throughout the Midwest. The majority of the theaters designed by the firm were in the Art Deco or Streamline Moderne styles—but their final two indoor theater projects – the 1956 remodeling of the Riverview in Minneapolis (originally designed by Liebenberg & Kaplan in 1948) and the Terrace Theatre in Robbinsdale, were designed in a modern style. Both theaters were projects that Liebenberg & Kaplan worked on with theatre proprietors Sydney and William Volk.
Sidney and William Volk’s Twin Cities Theatre Empire
The Volk brothers emigrated from Lithuania to Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 1920s and began their movie house career in the 1930s. The movie theater business was one of the few industries that thrived during the Great Depression. Their early business operated as the corporation “Minnehaha Theatres,” and, by1938, the Volks owned the Camden (1932), Nile (1926; 1936 remodel), and Falls (1931) in Minneapolis, the New Ray (1930s) in St. Paul, and the Robin (1938) in suburban Robbinsdale. Liebenberg & Kaplan designed the Camden and following a 1934 fire, re-designed the Nile in 1936.
Sidney and William’s portfolio growth stagnated when the United States entered World War II and President Roosevelt established the War Production Board (WPB). The WPB was charged with overseeing the use of limited materials and resources during the war years and prohibited nonessential construction—including the construction of movie theaters—between 1942 and 1944.
Like theater exhibitors nationwide, Sidney and William Volk had shelved new construction during World War II, including their plans for a 1,000-seat theater in Robbinsdale, to be called the Terrace, which was intended to build on the success of the town’s smaller Robin Theater.
When WPB building bans were lifted, the Volk brothers turned their attention first to building the Riverview Theater in south Minneapolis with Liebenberg & Kaplan serving as architects. Completed in 1948, the Riverview was designed in the Streamline Moderne style, typical of many of Liebenberg & Kaplan’s preceding theaters.
Three years later, in 1951, the Volk brothers once again called on Liebenberg & Kaplan for a theater design—this time to finally move forward with the plans for a new theater in Robbinsdale. With this new theatre, the Volks took a leap of faith, approving an unprecedented modern design and constructing one of the first ultramodern theaters in America – The Terrace Theatre.
Action! : Construction of the Terrace Theatre
The Volk’s decision to construct the Terrace coincided with a larger post-war building and population boom in Robbinsdale. Like suburbs throughout the country, in the 1940s and 1950s Robbinsdale experienced dramatic growth as soldiers returned from Europe and the Pacific and constructed homes for their young families. Robbinsdale grew so rapidly that the school district had to construct 18 elementary schools to meet the needs of its school age residents. In response to its residential development, Robbinsdale also experienced a significant commercial expansion. The city’s historic downtown served as a shopping district and attracted a Montgomery Ward and two supermarkets in the early 1950s.
The new theater was to be located at the corner of 36th and West Broadway, on a ten-acre plot which was the site of a former tavern and service station. An undated schematic design (Figure 12) for the sprawling ten-acre site, drawn by Liebenberg & Kaplan, reveals beautifully landscaped parking areas, shops, walks, a swimming pool, and play area. As architecture critic Larry Millett notes: “Liebenberg produced a[n] … exciting design for the theater that would be his midcentury masterpiece—the magnificent Terrace.” While the eventual site development lacked some of the more elaborate elements of Liebenberg & Kaplan’s schematic plan, the important elements of the Terrace’s design did reach construction (Figures 1-11).
The theater was situated at the rear of the site, “on a rise overlooking a surrounding portion of the countryside,” and overlooking scenic Lake Crystal. The Terrace was “set back into a shopping center plot by several hundred feet” to allow space for an intended mall to be constructed (the Terrace Mall was eventually constructed in 1980). The theatre’s siting meant that the set-back also allowed sufficient space for 1,000 or more cars to park, a feature essential to the postwar, automobile-centric suburbs.
Construction drawings (Figures 1-11) from 1949 identify key features of the design that were translated from Liebenberg & Kaplan’s early schematic drawings to reality: a reinforced concrete and steel frame building, faced with brick and stone veneer, and topped with a steel roof deck. Most striking is a towering sign tower of brick set off with backlit glass and topped with mirrored signs proclaiming “Terrace” to all of Robbinsdale.
News sources identify the building as costing between $600,000 and $1,000,000 to construct. The Terrace Theatre opened for business on May 23, 1951 with a showing of Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor’s Father’s Little Dividend.
“A Truly Architectural Wonder”
The Terrace Theatre marked a break in Liebenberg & Kaplan’s earlier indoor theater designs, which were primarily Art Deco and Streamline Moderne in style. The Terrace Theatre is an outstanding example of midcentury modern theater design and is a distinct design within the body of work of these renowned Minneapolis theater architects.
Architecturally, the Terrace Theatre embraced a number of design features that were popular in midcentury corporate and roadside design—geometric forms, “dramatically tilted windows,” a paneled glass tower, and large-scale eye-catching neon signage. The materials used throughout the Terrace—brick, stone, wood, and copper –are material choices that reflect midcentury residential trends more than the sterility of International Style or the free-form drama of Atomic Age commercial buildings. The warm and elegant residential character of the Terrace reflects the Volk brother’s efforts to market the Terrace to housewives and the brother’s decision to embrace the arrival of the television rather than compete for its audience.
To that end, the interior of the Terrace Theatre featured a spacious foyer, lounges, and a television room. The 1,300-seat auditorium included two sound-proof crying rooms for parents with unhappy children.
After securing admission, movie-goers entered the Terrace’s foyer (Figures 14 & 15), which was a grandiose space with a ceiling that was stepped to follow the stadium line of the auditorium. Niches were carved out of the main lobby space for a candy counter (Figure 14) and refreshment bar (Figure 18). Fine fixtures and finishes were present throughout the space—from the walnut-clad popcorn machine to the particularly notable copper “wishing well” drinking fountain. Even the carpeting was especially chosen for its high-level of refinement. Furnished by A & M Karagheusian rugs, a rug manufacturer headquartered in Manhattan, the Turkish loomed rugs contributed to the luxurious ambiance of the foyer and auditorium, as they did to other prominent buildings including the Radio City Music Hall and the United States Supreme Court building.
Immediately off of the foyer, the sunken lounge (Figures 16 & 17) and the adjacent smoking lounge received considerable press as a unique feature of a modern theater. Designed in the fashion of a “greatly enlarged and impeccably decorated midcentury home,” the lounge was “rimmed off by a low stone wall that encloses a tier of cushioned seats …[it featured] a copper-hooded fireplace and an array of colorful plant boxes. A dramatic blending of inside and outside treatment [was] achieved by the liberal use of cut stone, redwood and oak in the interior and by slanting window walls.” The sunken lounge was served by the candy counter in the foyer.
Located opposite the foyer was the Terrace’s television room (Figure 19). This innovative space was a nod to the increased presence and sociocultural impact of the home television. It was included for the convenience and novelty of the theater patrons. The television lounge was described in the BoxOffice feature article on the Terrace as getting “a steady play from patrons at the end of the early evening program. When they drop in here to watch television for a while before going home, they become perfect prospects for soft drinks and snack types of food served from the bar at the end of the theatre.” In a period when movie theatres across the country were closing due to low attendance and competing with the television for viewers, Liebenberg & Kaplan and the Volk brothers elected to embrace the television as a way to extend visitors’ movie-going experience.
The single-screen auditorium (Figure 20) had a semicircular stage, approached by carpeted steps around its perimeter, broken only by square stone planters. The 1,300 auditorium seats were supplied by American Seating Co. The 26-foot screen, outfitted by Walker HI Plastic, was contained within an easel-type frame and was covered with a curtain, furnished by National Theatre Supply, in place of the conventional theatre proscenium arch. Acousti-Celotex, an innovative soundproofing material first used by Liebenberg & Kaplan at the Granada Theater in 1928, played an important acoustical role in the auditorium. Also unique to the Terrace auditorium was the glassed off “crying room,” at the rear of the space, “which accommodated infants not enthralled by the on-screen entertainment,” while still allowing their parents to watch the show.
Even the restrooms were “gorgeously appointed” with luxurious materials and finishes. A large powder room for female patrons was painted in “tones of gray and rust with marble counters,” while the men’s restroom featured a redwood smoking lounge.
Other unique features of the Terrace included three garage stalls in the basement; a system of dumbwaiters serving a candy counter and soda bar from the spacious refreshment storage rooms; two large private offices for the Volk brothers; and, at the exterior, the stone movie poster panels adjacent to the driveway entrances. At a time when home air conditioning was still largely unaffordable, the Terrace’s year-round air conditioning, supplied by United States Air Conditioning Corporation equipment, and 52 degree well water, were also a feature touted in several publications.
“A Gem of the Lakes”
The Terrace Theatre opened in May of 1951 to a great deal of acclaim—and a bit of incredulity. A BusinessWeek article from August 1951 seemed to think Sidney and William were impulsive and irrational regarding their decision to build the Terrace:
Last May, two Minneapolis movie owners pulled a stunt that made every other exhibitor in the area decide they had blown their lids sky high. In nearby Robbinsdale, Minn., William and Sidney Volk opened a movie theater that had cost them close to $1 million to build. Since television seemed to have put the movie business solidly on the skids, this looked like an elaborate way to commit suicide.”
BusinessWeek aside, the Terrace Theatre received significant positive recognition in local and national newspapers, popular culture magazines, trade journals, and industry publications. BoxOffice, a national theater industry journal, published a five-page feature titled “A Gem of the Lakes,” touting the Terrace as giving “a feeling of fortress modernism. Blocky lines, broad expanses of large-paned windows and a massive light tower topped by the name sign express strength. The smaller worm’s eye view…demonstrates more grace and interesting detail of line.”
The 1954-1955 Theatre Catalog, the “Annual International Authority” on theatre use and development, included a pictorial and editorial presentation of the air conditioning technology in the Terrace. Family Circle requested permission to include photographs that would show eye-catching features for mothers such as “the sunken lounge, the nursery room, coffee being served, and so on,” for their “It’s the American Way” column. Institutions, a magazine for the service industry, also published a feature on the Terrace in March of 1952, which is not surprising considering that, in addition to designing the building, Liebenberg & Kaplan prepared designs for the Terrace’s uniforms (Figure 24).
Most importantly, perhaps, was the coverage that the Terrace Theatre received from local newspapers (Figure 21). One advertisement gushed about the theater,
The Terrace Theatre tower…soaring into the heavens…symbolizes the most modern achievement in the world of entertainment. Majestically situated on 10 beautifully landscaped acres at West Broadway and 36th Ave. N., the TERRACE is an ARCHITECTURAL WONDER you must SEE to fully appreciate! Every novel detail is designed to heighten your pleasure as you enjoy an extraordinary adventure in the finest entertainment. See it! You’ll say “Out of this world.
This type of advertisement hyped the novelty and unique character of the building more than the quality of the picture show.
The press for the Terrace proved successful (Figure 22). With parking for 1,000 cars and seats for 1,300, the Volk brothers planned the theater to serve the entire metropolitan area of the Twin Cities. In the first year of operation, theater records showed that 2% of attendees came from St. Paul, 15% came from Robbinsdale, and the majority of guests came to the theater from a 50-mile radius. A guest register, available for all patrons to sign, contained signatures from 25,000 people from every state of the union, Canada, and many foreign countries.
“America’s Finest Theatre at Your Very Door”
The Terrace Theatre seemed to defy the shrinking attendance trend that was sweeping the movie theater industry in the postwar period. According to Dave Kenney, author of Twin Cities Picture Show, movie theater attendance peaked nationwide in 1946 and, between 1951 and1953, a dozen theaters in Minneapolis and St. Paul shut down. Many factors were associated with the declining attendance, including economic factors such as increased spending on home appliances, and sociological or cultural factors, including the infiltration of the home television. In an effort to thwart dwindling box office receipts, “local theater owners turned to marketing gimmicks—some old and some new—in an effort to drum up business.” One of the efforts that theater owners undertook was to travel to the Terrace to see what the Volk brothers had done to draw such acclaim.
Part country club and part theater, the Terrace was a new phenomenon: “Let’s face it,” Sidney Volk said, “the theater business has changed, and we’ve built a place to take care of the needs of today. We now have what the public wants. The box office tells the story.” With its 1,000-car parking lot, sunken lounge, snack bar, soundproof crying rooms, television room, and spacious lobby overlooking a landscaped terrace, the Terrace was an innovation in movie theater design. The Volks were confident that their “luxurious atomic age picture houses” would continue to draw plenty of customers—especially women. “If a woman has been at home tending her kids all day, washing, ironing, and cooking, it’s going to take more than television to keep her there at night,” Sidney Volk observed. “As long as we have women in this world, people are going to go out. Nobody ever bought a mink coat for his wife to keep warm.” In addition to targeting female customers, the Volk brothers saw the theater as a community gathering place. Sidney’s reputation as a “phrasemaker and philosopher” was highlighted in another news article: “There are so many wonderful people in the world! And you can’t meet ‘em by the television set. You have to go out and talk to them.”
The Volk brothers had a reputation for service at the Terrace Theatre—which caught the attention of the “Hollywood,” a nationally syndicated column in the Corsicana Daily Sun:
My cousin, Gordon Maynard, talks volumes about the Terrace Theater in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, just outside of Minneapolis. Two brothers, Sidney and William Volk, own it.
“When you enter the theater,” said Gordon, “there’s a counter in the foyer with an attractive young lady telling you the picture is starting or that you’re early and would you like to go into the lounge and be served with hot coffee, doughnuts, or sandwiches with no extra charge.”
The night that Gordon was there two people came in late and the show was nearly over, but the Volks ran the whole picture for just two people. Sidney Volk said, “We stay open until the last person leaves—We never want a dissatisfied patron.”
“So, if you go to Minnesota, visit Mr. Volk,” said Gordon.”
The theater was wildly successful, which seemed to spur Sidney Volk’s dreams for the ultimate movie-going experience. Local news articles also portrayed Sidney’s futuristic ideas:
“Free coffee?” said Sid Volk, “It’s nice. But you haven’t seen anything. Some day [sic] I’ll give them caviar…I’m going to build one some day that’ll be out of this world. You’ll drive right inside, and an elevator will take your car away to be parked. There’ll be a big smorgasbord with caviar. It’ll be magnificent.”
Since the ultramodern Terrace Theatre had industry-astounding receipts in its first years of operation, the Volk brothers hired Liebenberg & Kaplan in 1956 to remodel the Riverview in Minneapolis in a similar midcentury modern style. The new lobby space was intended to reflect a living room and even included a separate TV lounge, much like the Terrace. Amenities were ample: “Dunbar tables, McCobb stools, Herman Miller divans and chairs, walnut panels imposed on light wood, graceful modern lamps, stunning draperies.” The Riverview Theater continues operation today and is one of the few remaining single-screen cinemas in the Twin Cities.
Roll Credits
With the exception of the Riverview renovation, the Terrace Theatre was the last indoor movie theater for both the Volk brothers and Liebenberg & Kaplan and, as Larry Millett professed in his book Minnesota Modern: Architecture and Life Midcentury, “there is little chance that a movie theater of its quality will ever be built again in Minnesota.”
During the later years of their career, Sidney and William had owned and operated their theatres under a smattering of corporation names—the Minnehaha Theatre Corp., the Robbinsdale Amusement Corp., Volk Bros. Theatres, and the Four Minneapolis Theatres Company. Throughout their career, Sidney and William Volk were active in various organizations in the industry, including the Variety Clubs of America and the Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors, established to serve and protect independent theater ownership. Sidney was also elected to the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) board of directors in 1967.
The Volk brothers—William died in 1973 and Sidney in 1982, both at the age of 74—enjoyed the twilight of their career at the Terrace, where
[There] handsome interconnected offices…featured custom millwork, built-in desks and cabinets and gorgeous full-height corner windows. And when business was slow or the mood struck them, they could wander out into the hall, climb a few steps and enter the world of the movies through their own private entrance. It must have been a wonderful life.”
The Terrace Theatre underwent some changes to respond to advancements in technology in order to maintain attendance. In the early 1960s, the interior was remodeled some, and “modern intrusions as video games have mucked up the lobby a bit.” In the 1970s, the auditorium sound equipment was updated. In 1980, a strip mall moved in next door, obliterating the Terrace’s views of Lake Crystal. Eventually, other more conveniently located cinemas siphoned off suburban moviegoers.
According to Millett, “Despite its superb design, the Terrace ultimately could not survive changes in the movie industry that made its huge auditorium more of a liability than an asset.” As a result, after Midcontinent Theater Company of Minneapolis bought the Terrace in 1987, the most dramatic interior change took place. In 1988, the Terrace’s auditorium— the largest still operating in the Twin Cities—was partitioned and turned into a triplex. The main auditorium was horizontally cut in half, and two small balconies were separated and turned into small screening rooms seating 200 each, and the lower floor functioning as a 600-seat theater. Todd Frager, manager of the Terrace hoped three screens would enable the theater to draw larger crowds, especially on weekends, but knew others would resist the change: “People around here really like this theater…It seems every week somebody will come in here and say he remembers seeing matinees here as a kid. There’s no doubt this theater is something special.”
The theater shuttered its doors in 1999 and has been vacant since.
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9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.)
“A Gem of the Lake,” BoxOffice, (August 4, 1951): 14-17.
Kenney, Dave. Twin Cities Picture Show: A Century of Moviegoing (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2010)
Lathrop, Alan. Minnesota Architects: A Biographical Dictionary (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010).
“Liebenberg & Kaplan Papers, 1919-1969,” Finding aid at the Northwest Architectural Archives, Anderson Library, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. http://discover.lib.umn.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=umfa;cc=umfa;rgn=main;view=text;didno=naa036
McLain, R.D. “Theatre Air Conditioning,” Theatre Catalog (1954-1955): 337-338, http://drive-ins.com/theatrecatalog/1954/376#viewimage_.
Larry Millett, Minnesota Modern: Architecture and Life Midcentury, (St. Paul: University of Minnesota Press, 2015)
Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs Online, https://www.lib.umn.edu/apps/mhapo/, accessed 27 July 2016, A-18-051 (1945).
National Register of Historic Places, Hollywood Theater, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, National Register #13001145.
North Hennepin Post (Robbinsdale: Minnesota).
Richie, Peter James Ward. Images of America: Robbinsdale (Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2014).
Robbinsdale Post (Robbinsdale: Minnesota).
St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch, (St. Paul: Minnesota).
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Previous documentation on file (NPS):
____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested
____ previously listed in the National Register
____ previously determined eligible by the National Register
____ designated a National Historic Landmark
____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________
____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________
____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________
Primary location of additional data:
____ State Historic Preservation Office
____ Other State agency
____ Federal agency
____ Local government
____ University
__x__ Other
Name of repository: __Minnesota Historical Society, University of Minnesota – Northwest Architectural Archives, Robbinsdale Historical Society____________
Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): ________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property ___0.67 acres____________
Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates
Latitude/Longitude Coordinates (decimal degrees)
Datum if other than WGS84:__________
(enter coordinates to 6 decimal places)
1. Latitude: Longitude:
2. Latitude: Longitude:
3. Latitude: Longitude:
4. Latitude: Longitude:
Or
UTM References
Datum (indicated on USGS map):
NAD 1927 or NAD 1983
1. Zone: 15T Easting: 474152.21mE Northing: 4985132.66mN
2. Zone: Easting: Northing:
3. Zone: Easting: Northing:
4. Zone: Easting : Northing:
Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.)
To the south and north, the property boundary extends along the façades of the building, and then continues westerly across a surface parking lot until it reaches France Avenue North. To the west, the boundary extends along France Avenue North. To the east, the boundary extends along the building’s east façade.
Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.)
The boundaries encompass the legal parcel with PID 0802924220026 (3508 France Avenue North) of the City of Robbinsdale, Minnesota.
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11. Form Prepared By
name/title: ____Marisa Koivisto, Laurel Fritz, and Tamara Halvorsen Ludt___
organization: __Preservation Design Works, LLC (PVN)
street & number: _575 9th Street Southeast, Suite 215___________________________
city or town: __Minneapolis_____________ state: __MN__________ zip code: _55414_
e-mail____ludt@pvnworks.com___fritz@pvnworks.com_________________________
telephone:_612-843-4140________________________
date:___August 1, 2016__________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Additional Documentation
Submit the following items with the completed form:
• Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property’s location.
• Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map.
• Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.)
Photographs
Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600×1200 pixels (minimum), 3000×2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer, photo date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on every photograph.
Photo Log
Name of Property: Terrace Theatre
City or Vicinity: Robbinsdale
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Exterior Images – Laurel Fritz; Interior Images – Inland Development, LLC via City of Robbinsdale
Date Photographed: Exterior Images – 7/6/2016; Interior Images – circa January 2016
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of camera:
1 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_001)
General View of North Façade, Facing South
2 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_002)
View of Sign Tower and “Terrace” Sign, North Façade, Facing South
3 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_003)
Main Entry, North Façade, Facing South
4 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_004)
Portion of East Façade Housing Office Space, Facing North/Northwest
5 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_005)
View of East Façade, Facing North/Northwest
6 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_006)
General View of East Façade, Facing Northwest
7 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_007)
East Façade and Neighboring Building, Facing North
8 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_008)
General View of South Façade, Facing North
9 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_009)
General View of West and South Façades, Facing Northwest
10 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_010)
General View of West Façade, Facing East
11 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_011)
Secondary Entry at Northwest Corner of Building, Facing Southeast
12 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_012)
View of Lobby Including Historic Fireplace and Light Fixtures, Facing East
13 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_013)
View of Lobby Including Historic Fireplace and Light Fixtures, Facing West
14 of 14. (MN_Hennepin County_Terrace Theatre_014)
View of Auditorium, Facing South
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 100 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC.
