Delphia's Restaurant

A Brief History of Delphia's Restaurant

Warren Van Duesen and Delphia Mertching bought the property and started construction of the building in September 1928. By March 1929, tenants had begun to move in.

Among the first tenants were:
Charles Rice – Candy Shoppe
Claude A. Nichols – Insurance and Real Estate
J.B. Turner – Attorney at Law
James Urciuoli – Barber Shop
Mrs. I.G. Shaw – Gift Shop
Mrs. Wilcox – Beauty Parlor
V.W. Bull – Insurance and Real Estate

Altogether there were five spaces downstairs and seven upstairs. The movie theatre opened on Wednesday April 3rd, 1929 featuring “An Office Scandal.” The theatre had 412 seats, all of which were filled at the 7 and 9 o’clock shows. The stage was in the rear of the building. It was accompanied by an orchestra pit full of musicians who sang and played during the show. Within a year, talking pictures were available. Installation of a new speaker system brought new padding on the side walls and heavy felt on the ceilings. The theatre remained open for almost 30 years, closing in 1957.