Historic Ramsdell Theatre, home of the Manistee Civic Players and the Manistee Art Institute in Manistee, Michigan USA

Ramsdell Theatre History


About Ramsdell Theatre Theatre History Restoration Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell


Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell - 1833 - 1917 Photo courtesy of the Manistee County Historical Museum				THE RAMSDELL THEATRE AND HALL HISTORICAL SYNOPSIS By Deborah E. Mikula On September 4th, the Ramsdell Theatre opened to a standing-room-only audience to view the acclaimed production of “A Chinese Honeymoon” by the traveling New York Casino Company. It opened to rave reviews and began the 87 year history of community operations and usage that has survived both World Wars, the decline and rebirth of a historical downtown, and the advent of home videos. This facility has always been and always will be a community oriented operation and that perhaps is what keeps the hope, spirit and vitality on its current plans. The public spirit and generosity of its benefactor, Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell are well outlined in the history of Manistee. This well-to-do lawyer worked for the cultural and economic improvement of this small community in Northwest Michigan. He helped build the first bridge across the river, he opened the first hardware store in Manistee, he was instrumental in establishing the first newspaper, he helped to found the First National Bank, and he established the Manistee Water Works. He invested in real estate and when the Scandinavian Opera House burned, he invested over $100,000 to create an architectural and cultural landmark that is still standing today – The Ramsdell Theatre and Hall. Almost two years earlier – in 1901 – construction had begun on the building at the corner of First and Maple Streets, Mr. S. Beman, a prominent Chicago architect, was contracted to design and build this community cultural center which not only included a theatre but also incorporated an assembly hall as well. (The theatre and hall are separated by a solid wall of masonry making the buildings absolutely distinct from each other.) The exterior is of red brick with six large columns supporting the portico over the main entrance to the theatre on Maple Street – a very classic Colonial design. The Hall portion of the structure (with the first floor devoted to parlors, a drawing room, a cloak room, and a kitchen and the second floor devoted entirely to a dance hall with orchestra balcony and fireplace) was completed first. The Manistee Retail Clerk’s Union christened it with a ball on December 12, 1902. The official opening was held six days later with a ball held by the Ramsdell family. As 1902 came to a close, work on the theatre was still progressing. It was to be constructed and equipped so that the best traveling companies in the country could be obtained. The footage of the stage and backstage areas was comparable to the best opera and vaudeville houses in the country. The stage measures 34 feet deep and 60 feet wide. The gilded proscenium arch is 26 feet wide. The gridiron is 70 feet above the stage while the two fly galleries are almost 30 feet about the stage. There is a paint gallery that is 34 feet above the stage floor and enables artists to paint scenery cloths while viewing them vertically. The stage floor is graced with nine trap door platforms – six of these can be raised and the other three can only be lowered into the basement. The most striking feature of the green and gold interior is the horseshoe balcony supported by numerous pillars which extend to the tin plated ceiling. The interior decoration was completed by some very famous artists in their own right, Walter Wilcox Burridge; a renowned scenic painter (original “Wizard of Oz” scenery) painted the front drop curtain entitled “A Grove Near Athens”. Frederic Winthrop Ramsdell, Ramsdell’s son painted the two lunettes in the lobby, and the lavish dome in the house, depicting Venus riding her chariot through the heavens, surrounded by cherubs. The original seating was 1200 including the gallery seating, which was reserved for Manistee’s lower and laboring classes. (The gallery is no longer in use due to fire safety rules). Today, the house seats close to 600 which include four boxes, two on each side of the stage end two loges in the lower balcony. The early years after opening were quite impressive and showed that the arts were very welcome in this small lumbering town. Twenty-five more plays would be performed in 1903, and a record 53 shows were presented in 1904. The years rolled along and the traveling productions averaged around 40 each year. In 1909, the Ramsdell’s leased the theatre to the Western Theater Association of Chicago. This theatrical booking firm had already signed similar leases in Cadillac and Traverse City and was attempting to build a circuit in Northwest Lower Michigan. The lease to Western was terminated in 1912. Movies were being shown occasionally in the middle teens, but due to the onset of World War I the theatre was dark between 1918 and 1919. Limited activity resumed in 1920 and several high school plays plus a couple of road shows were presented each year until1923. In 1925, the Theatre and Hall was purchased for $25,000 from the estate of TJ Ramsdell (who passed away in April 1917) by the Manistee Rotarians. It was at this time that the seats were removed from the center balcony in the area that had been previously known as the “Family Circle” and a modern concrete projection booth was installed so that movies could be shown. After five years, it was deemed that the movies were not a financial success and in 1930, the theatre portion was closed. It was reopened again in 1936 when it was leased to the Butterfield Theatre chain that ran first run movies. In 1939, the Manistee Civic Players were formed and secured permission from the Butterfield Theatre chain for the use of the Ramsdell for rehearsals and performances of two productions each year. Their first production was “The Night of January 16th” which was performed on September 14, 1939. they performed four more plays between 1939 and 1941. In response to the City needing armory space for the Michigan State Troops a proposal was presented to the City Commissioners by the Rotarians in 1941 whereby the City could purchase the theatre and hall for $3000/year, over a twelve year period. At the end of the lease period, the City would acquire the property and would ultimately save thousands of dollars in rental costs for a facility for the troops. The Manistee Recreation Association was established in 1942 to provide for youth activities in the community and they were also allowed to occupy part of the hall as well. With the United States entry into World War II, the activity of the Civic Players dwindled and there were no theatrical productions for nine years until 1952. During the ensuing years, the theatre portion was unused and much interior damage was done from neglect and lack of maintenance of any sort. Most of the damage happened due to a leaking roof which caused serious water damage to the lavish painted dome. In 1949, a dedicated group of women’s clubs (the Lakeside Club, the Junior Lakeside Club and the Business and Professional Women’s Club) got together and formed the Civic Betterment Committee. The main objective of this committee was to restore the Ramsdell and to see it used again as a legitimate theatre. The project was entered in a statewide contest and was awarded first prize. Spurred by this success, the committee arranged for a play to be presented in May 1950 by the Muskegon Civic Players. After this the committee began its search for a way to bring summer theatre to Manistee so that the theatre was never again dark. In 1951, the Manistee Drama Festival was formed and opened with Ruth Gordon’s “Over 21”. The second production was “George Washington Slept Here” in which local players were cast. Again, the notion of having the community involved in the day to day operations was installed. A number of restoration objectives had been accomplished by this time. Most of the stage machinery had been reconditioned and the paint rail was placed back into use. New fixtures were installed in the rest rooms and the lobby was cleaned and painted. Carpets were cleaned and much of the original scenery was repaired. During the second season of the Manistee Drama Festival, Dr. Madge Skelly was engaged to direct most of the season’s plays. In 1953, she assumed the direction of the summer theatre, and she stayed for the next nine years until 1961. At the same time, the property was deeded over from the Manistee Rotary Club to the City of Manistee. The 12 year lease was finally up. A young black actor, James Earl Jones, had his beginnings at the Ramsdell as a stage carpenter with the summer theatre in 1953 and returned during the 1955 – 1957 seasons as an actor and stage manager. His first portrayal of Shakespeare’s Othello was on the Ramsdell stage in 1955. In 1955, $10,000 worth of improvements toward restoration and modern stage lighting had been accomplished from the earnings of the summer theatre. In 1956, used spring cushion seats were installed which were obtained from the Kalamazoo Civic Center. (The original wood and cast iron seats still appear in the balcony area.) After the Manistee Summer Theatre ended in 1963, the Manistee Civic Players began producing approximately four shows each year with at least one of them being a musical production. Profits realized from season after season were put back into the restoration of the theatre. The interior was painted, the gilt work redone, lighting fixtures revamped to simulate the original fixtures. Remodeling of the restrooms and lobby in a Victorian style was completed with new doors installed at the main entrance. Backstage improvements were also being completed including the refurbishment of the basement dressing room, and a new stage and house lighting dimmer system was purchased. In 1972, the theatre was listed on the National Register for Historic Places. It was also at this time that the Civic Players signed a lease with the City which allows them to manage the theatre portion and to continue restoration work. In 1976, a grant for $6000 was obtained from the National Park Service which was administered by the Michigan History Division of the Michigan Department of State which had to be matched by the Civic Players. The money was used for the installation of a complete exit light and emergency lighting system. 1977 also saw the Civic Players receive a Title VI CETA grant. This enabled them to set up a stall to continue the necessary restoration work. The last CETA worker was employed until March 1981. In 1983-84, a grant from the Michigan Outstate Equity Program was received through the City of Manistee for $100,000 which helped replace the roof, and place tile around the foundation to eliminate the basement flooding. During that same time period, a matching grant for approximately $77,000 was received from the History Division of the State of Michigan to install fire doors, new windows in the entire building, smoke alarms, and helped to create barrier free access to the entrance of the theatre. The grant was matched by the City of Manistee. In 1989, the Civic Players petitioned the City for the lease to the entire building including the hall portion and received it intending to use the lower hall for gallery and classroom space. A Blue Ribbon Committee was formed this year including the City Manager, representatives from the area arts groups including the Civic Players, and prominent citizens in the community to look into the possibilities that exist for this wonderful space. A long range plan has been developed and one priority was to hire an architectural firm to draw up an architectural master plan. Quinn Evans/Architects of Ann Arbor, Michigan have been contracted to provide this and presented it at a ceremony in September of 1990 during the Victorian Port City Festival. The above document was prepared as part of the Master Plan development work completed in 1990. With that document as a starting point, the task of restoring the Ramsdell Complex to its original condition was begun. A new group was established, the Ramsdell Restoration Committee, to provide a venue for fund raising and managing the process of restoration based on the recommendations in the Master Plan. In the succeeding 16 years a significant portion of the plan was implemented as the Restoration Committee was able to raise over $5,000,000 in cash and matching work to bring this jewel of a structure back to its original splendor. In 2003, a summer long celebration of the Centennial of the building complex accomplished reintroducing the Ramsdell Theatre to Northwest Michigan. James Earl Jones, the young man from the early 50’s, now a world renowned actor; returned to provide capstone to the events and help raise over $25,000 for the continuing Restoration efforts. In 2004, it became obvious to the MCP that supporting the building’s operations was financially impossible and they asked that the City consider the work of a Governance planning committee be implemented to support ongoing operations of the complex. In 2005, the City of Manistee formed the Ramsdell Governance Committee to provide ongoing oversight to the management, maintenance and restoration efforts. This committee is drawn from the organizations that now make up the core of regular users (MCP, MAI, Restoration) of the building complex and is dedicated to maintaining the complex for future generations. The committee is charged with managing the revenues of the buildings from its users and expanding the building’s use while reducing the demands on the City’s budget which is now the main source of operating funding for the complex. This committee took on fully responsibility for the Ramsdell Complex in mid 2006.

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