For the past five years, the Tyrone Community Players have called the big brick building at 1019 Logan Avenue “home.” It has been used as a rehearsal hall for theater productions; a place of preservation for artifacts spanning 28 seasons of live theater in Tyrone; a storage space for an extensive and original costume collection; a meeting hall; and a home for all the props, décor items, lighting and sound equipment required to “do” theater.
This historic, circa 1924, building began its life as an Elks lodge. Built in the Deco and Federal styles of the day, the structure of the building was guaranteed for centuries with the use of steel beams, concrete walls, and a brick exterior. It houses 3½ floors of space that have been used for a variety of purposes over the past 90 years, from a basement kitchen with dumb waiter and a top floor poker room during Prohibition to the Tyrone-Snyder Public Library with the Ballroom being used as a computer area for the public and the basement housing a children’s reading room.
Now this familiar and stately building is being saved and re-tasked for a new century of existence.
The Renovation Plan
The Tyrone Community Players have collaborated with Maines Engineering to develop a cohesive set of plans to make the main floor of The Building (as all TCPers have taken to calling their new home) into a functional, charming, and unique performance space. This space will include new rest rooms to accommodate theater patrons and a lobby area complete with some of the historic mementos accumulated during TCP’s tenure in Tyrone and at the YMCA. All those wanting to enjoy a live performance will find accessibility provided via a ramp. Risers and a comfortable new seating system will enhance the theater experience for all. Last but not least, a stage area for performances will be featured. The Ballroom will be revamped and used to support the theater with dressing and make-up areas, an office, and meeting space.
Actual renovation began at the very tippy top of the three-story skyscraper. The Building has a challenging roof design including an interior drainage system, slightly graded slope, and brick pediments surrounding the entire structure.
The repairs included repointing all the brick on the chimneys to eliminate water seepage; visually inspecting the interior drains that connect the roof to the downspout system; securing and repointing the brick pediments that surround and extend above the roof itself; and finally, resurfacing the entire roof.
Hidden Treasures
The hammer and crowbar team of TCPers led by Rick Ramsay and Phil Hoy is working to strip decades of “vintage” paneling and suspended ceilings from their moorings, allowing a glimpse of the original grand building. Imagine our joy as we uncovered the stately look and elegant features this building possessed: a buzzer system between the lobby and the 3rd floor poker room (perhaps a Prohibition precaution?); a hidden closet in the basement; lovely hardwood floors hidden under layers of aged carpeting and glue; a dumb waiter that carried delectable meals from the basement kitchen to the Ballroom; beautiful Art Deco wall sconces; and two fragile shades from the original ceiling lighting (one of which has been saved intact).
The first floor has been stripped of all reminders of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. What remains are the vaporous remnants of a building that once hosted gala holiday celebrations, clandestine poker parties, and modest family dinners. Members of the BPOE called it their “home away from home” and took great pride in maintaining and refurbishing it.
So the plaster will soon be repaired. The ceilings will be redone to comply with our needs. The electrical system will be updated to accommodate our lighting and sound requirements. “Old friends” will be used in new ways to make this space our home, filled with memories from our past and our community’s past now linked to a bright future. Look for the spectacular isinglass chandelier from the YMCA to find a new home.
By making the structure satisfy our theater needs and become a functioning performance home for Tyrone’s award-winning theater company, we can guarantee its life and benefit to the community for another 90 years.
Share your memories