The Temple Theater, located northeast of the intersection of High and Beech streets in Bryan, was originally constructed as an armory for Company E, 16th Ohio National Guard. Ground was broken for the 100 x 44-foot structure on October 28, 1878, and it was completed in 1879.
The armory was equipped with a stage and dressing rooms, and it hosted dances, plays, roller skating, and basketball games. Future President William McKinley once addressed an audience of 1,600 there.
The Temple Theater opened in the former armory in 1921 and operated for approximately 25 years. In April 1955, the Carroll-Ames hardware store moved into the building, and the two-story brick residence and two small structures were razed or removed to provide parking for the store.
Today, the historic structure houses My Furniture Place. This colorized April 18, 1954 photograph of the former Temple Theater is from the Williams County Public Library Huffman Photographic Archives.
Do you have a Williams County historic photo you would like to share? Email: publisher@thevillagereporter.com.
