Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville

The Wildey Theatre, located in downtown Edwardsville, Illinois, has served as a center of performing arts in Edwardsville and Madison County since it was constructed in 1909. It was built by a group of local investors, the Edwardsville Investment Company, which was led by the Independent Order of Oddfellows (IOOF).[1] The three-story masonry building cost approximately $30,000 to build and included a meeting room for the IOOF on the third floor with the organization’s initials prominently displayed on the cornice at the top of the building. [2]

The Odd Fellows is a “friendly society” that was started in London in 1730 but traces its history back to 1066, emerging from medieval trade guilds.[3] Thomas Wildey (1782-1861), a British-American, is credited with bringing the Odd Fellows to the United States (Wildey Theatre is named after him), later becoming the Independent Order of Oddfellows following a dispute on authority in 1842.[4]

The IOOF and other philanthropic organizations at the time were constructing public works, and opera houses were considered essential to putting a community on the map. Most of these opera houses, the Wildey included, hosted more “traveling theatre troupes, vaudeville shows, concerts, public lectures, dance, [and] auctions” than actual operas.[5]

The Wildey Theatre was designed by architect G. H. Kennerly of St. Louis, in the Victorian style. When the theatre received a “facelift” in 1937, the opportunity arose to change the Victorian façade to the now-familiar Art Deco accoutrements that exist on the Wildey today.[6] The 1937 renovation included several changes inside as well, removing the opera boxes and a second balcony, and adding a new sound and projection system, along with the iconic movie marquee that replaced an old marquee added at the advent of silent movies.  Also included in the 1937 renovation was the removal of the original orchestra pit that had continued to be used during the silent film era but was no longer needed when films came with the soundtrack integrated.

Films continued to be the focus of the Wildey Theatre throughout the 1940s where, in addition to feature movies, news reels about the war and other national news kept audiences informed. In the 1950s, the Wildey Theatre operated every day of the week, showing lots of double features, westerns, and the science-fiction films the era is known for.

The 1950s were also a time of change for Edwardsville starting with the racial integration of the school system from 1949-1951[7]. However, integration of many of Edwardsville’s businesses, including the Wildey Theatre, would lag behind. Many businesses and restaurants would not serve African Americans at all. The Wildey (and short lived competitor, the Lux Theater, which went out of business in 1958[8]) did allow African Americans in, but restricted them to segregated seating areas (the balcony for the Wildey)[9].

The Wildey Theatre, along with other Edwardsville businesses, ended their official segregation policies by the end of the 1950s. Through the 1960s and 1970s, it serving a community that had doubled in size since the Wildey was constructed. Edwardsville’s population increased from approximately 5,000 to approximately 10,000 in the 1970s. It was still a “small town” community but it faced shifting demographics, including the arrival of indoor malls such as Saint Clair Square Mall in 1974 in nearby Fairview Heights[10] and multi-screen theatre options such as the Fairview Twin Cinema built just down the street from the Saint Clair mall in 1973[11]. These pressures contributed to the Wildey Theatre showing its last film, The Big Chill, on March 8, 1984, before ending its full-time operation (part-time management sponsored later events, ending with a showing of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985). An effort to convert the Wildey to an arts center shortly after its closure in 1984 failed when the state of Illinois ran short on funds and no grant money was available.[12]

The opening of large multi-screen options such as the Saint Clair 10 Cine in 1986 and, later, the Kerasotes Theater Edwardsville 12 in 1998 (which became AMC Theaters in 2010),[13] meant the Wildey would never be able to compete again without public support.

The City of Edwardsville recognized the situation and since the building was also falling into a state of disrepair, they secured a $300,000 grant in 1999 through the Illinois FIRST program to purchase the building, replace the roof, and stabilize the structure[14]. Now a city-owned building, Edwardsville undertook a public process to develop ideas for possible repurposing of the building. Taking advantage of the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) 2 district created in 1997[15], in which the Wildey sits on the northern edge of, the city spent $450,000 to rebuild the front facade including tuck-pointing and repair work, restoration of the lighted marquee, new glass doors, replacement of damaged decorative glass panels, lower windows, and a new electrical system.

In 2011, the city of Edwardsville completed a $2.9 million renovation of the theatre’s interior with funds from three evenly divided sources: private donations, additional TIF funding, and a loan from the city to be repaid by private donations[16]. The Wildey Theatre reopened on April 12, 2011.

Today, the Wildey Theatre serves the community in much the same way as when it was originally constructed. While still a venue for movies, the focus of the theatre is live entertainment with music tribute bands, comedians, plays, musicals, and other entertainment gracing its stage. The Theatre continues to be maintained and enhanced, with grant funds going towards a new HVAC system and controls. Additionally, the city of Edwardsville funded the replacement of the carpet and other projects through their capital fund. Private donations continue to be used with the restoration of the marquee and a renovation of the lobby.[17]

The Wildey Theatre, over 115 years old, has withstood changes in society, technology, competition, and even surviving a tornado in 1981 (which damaged its rear wall). It continues to serve in much of its original capacity, not just to the citizens of Edwardsville, but the Metro East community and beyond.

Notes

[1] https://historicwildey.com/history/, accessed 18 June 2025.

[2] https://historicwildey.com/history/, accessed 18 June 2025.

[3] “History of the Oddfellows”. The Oddfellows. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2016.

[4] Tabbert, Mark A. (2003) The Odd Fellows, Masonic Papers, first published Dec. 2003, “The Northern Light”, Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, USA, https://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/tabbert5.html. Accessed 18 June 2025

[5] Snider, Bruce D., Watch the Drama Unfold at These 6 Historic Opera Houses, National Trust for Historic Preservation, https://savingplaces.org/stories/watch-the-drama-unfold-at-these-6-historic-opera-houses, accessed 18 June 2025.

[6] https://historicwildey.com/history/, accessed 18 June 2025.

[7] Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7, https://www.ecusd7.org/district/about-history, accessed 28 June 2025

[8] https://www.cinematreasures.org/theaters/5687, accessed 28 June 2025.

[9] Herman Shaw Oral History Interview,” Madison Historical, accessed June 30, 2025, https://madison-historical.siue.edu/archive/items/show/903.

[10] Green, Jennifer, “From Glamour Shots to French Onion Soup, St. Clair Square Celebrates 50 Years of Memories,” Belleville News-Democrat, https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article288545867.html, accessed 18 Jun 2025.

[11] https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/60881, accessed 18 June 2025.

[12] https://historicwildey.com/memories/wildey-arts-center/, accessed 19 June 2025.

[13] https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/24923, accessed 18 June 2025.

[14] https://historicwildey.com/restoration/, accessed 19 June 2025.

[15] https://www.cityofedwardsville.com/DocumentCenter/View/1590/TIF-Map-2020-PDF, accessed 19 June 2025.

[16] Interview with Rich Walker, President, Friends of the Wildey Theatre, 21 June 2025.

[17] Interview with Rich Walker, President, Friends of the Wildey Theatre, 21 June 2025.