Hardacre Theater

Hardacre Theater has been a center of entertainment in Tipton since its construction in 1914. Named after long-time Tipton resident Jacob Hardacre, whose estate provided the funds to build it, Hardacre Theater is a rare, surviving example of an early 20th-century opera house movie theater. It was designed in the Art Deco style and faces the Cedar County Courthouse. The theater was also used by the local chapter of a fraternal organization called the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), of which Hardacre was a member. The theater has been undergoing renovation since 2014 and has not yet reopened as of 2021.

Jacob Hardacre lived in Tipton from 1841 to 1892. It is unclear what his occupation was but he must have been quite successful to have been able to bequest a significant sum of money to build the theater. Newspapers around Iowa reported the news of the bequest, which indicates the significant impact it had on the community. Hardacre requested that the IOOF be in charge of building the new theater and his will also stipulated that the theater should have a room for the IOOF.

When it opened, the Hardacre had 264 seats on the main floor and 132 in the balcony, and was designed to host live performances and movies. It differed from other opera houses in Iowa in that the auditorium was on the ground floor. In other opera houses Iowa at the time, the auditoriums were located on the upper floors of two or three-floor buildings with the first floor space occupied by businesses or government offices.

As films grew in popularity around the country, the Hardacre continued to host live performances but films became the main draw by 1919. In 1927, a new pipe organ was installed and in 1928, the theater was renovated and updated. In 1948, it was fully converted into a movie theater and the current marquee was installed as well. The IOOF owned the Hardacre until 1978. Around that time it started to host an annual film festival that continued until 2013 when it was forced to close as a result of its old film reel projector becoming obsolete. In 2014, an organization called the Hardacre Theater Preservation Association purchased it and started the renovation process. In 2016, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

"History of the Hardacre." Hardacre Theater. Accessed September 22, 2021. https://hardacretheater.org/history.

Price, Ph.D., Jennifer A. "Hardacre Theater." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. January 5, 2016. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/d037b974-51e7-4f9d-8be9-65dda92a0a0a.