Capitol Square's Ohio Theatre, a 1928 movie palace turned performing arts center and known as the Official Theatre of the State of Ohio, opens its façade to you in Downtown Columbus. This 1928 building was designed by the noted theater architect Thomas W. Lamb, who called this one of his most successful creations. Inside, he aimed to separate patrons from daily life by creating a luxurious fantasy atmosphere; the interior was decorated and furnished by New York designer Anne Dornin, who themed each room.
Dornin’s favorite was the “Africa Corner,” furnished with authentic pieces from her travels. The house originally offered lavish men’s and women’s lounge areas, even separate smoking and telephone rooms, a reminder of how theatergoing once meant an evening of ritual and escape. Threatened with demolition in 1969, the building was saved and that same year prompted the formation of CAPA, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, which still owns and operates the theatre.
The restoration was completed and the Ohio Theatre was later declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. Notice the Official Theatre of the State of Ohio still standing after CAPA's rescue in 1969, decades before its 1977 landmark honor.