Hardacre Theater's Encore Fundraiser

The Hardacre Theater is a historic building located on the square in the downtown of Tipton, Iowa. The theater was originally built as an opera house and its construction was funded by the estate of Jacob Hardacre. Hardacre was a member of a fraternal organization, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), and it was stipulated that the building was to be used for their functions as well. The theater was opened in 1914, and it was converted into a movie house in 1919. There was seating for 264 on the main floor and an additional 132 seats in the balcony. The present marquee was erected by the Iowa Neon Sign Company of Des Moines in 1948 and the interior of the building was significantly remodeled in 1948 with its art deco styling completed by Dahlstrom & Weignbringer of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The renovation was made under the management of John Snyder.

The I.O.O.F. sold the Hardacre to Louie and Virginia Cook in 1978. It continued to operate as a movie theater and hosted its own film festival. The Hardacre Film Festival ran for 17 years. It was a world-class festival that gave movie lovers in our region a great opportunity to experience films from the world’s most prestigious film festivals and to meet the people who made them. The festival featured dozens of feature-length and short films from all over the world.

Sadly, the theater was forced to close in 2013 due to its reel projector becoming obsolete in the digital age in addition to failing roofing and masonry.

The Hardacre Theater Preservation Association bought the theater in 2014 and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The Association is a volunteer board comprised of community members from the public and private sector intent on restoring this piece of history to the artistic and social centerpiece of Cedar County that it once was. The Association repaired the roof and masonry. To generate income and meet the community’s need for housing, the Oddfellows’ meeting hall was converted into two two-bedroom apartments. One of the ground floor retail storefronts is leased to a pet grooming business.

The Association has partnered with FEH Design of Dubuque, Iowa, to develop a concept to rehabilitate and modernize the theater itself while retaining many of its historic details. Front and center will be a new, all-digital video projector, premium seating and high-quality sound and lighting systems to compete with any “big city” movie theater. A new concession area and larger, ADA-compliant restrooms will round out the physical improvements. To signal to the Cedar County community that reopening of the theater is finally on the horizon, the once-neglected marquee was recently repaired and modernized by Nesper Sign of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with an unveiling scheduled for November 18, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.

The Hardacre was fortunate to receive a $100,000 catalyst grant from the State of Iowa. The Hardacre is also eligible for a $270,000 challenge grant from the State, but to do so, the Hardacre must raise a total of $541,700. The City of Tipton, Cedar County Board of Supervisors, and numerous corporate and private supporters have contributed over $450,000 so far, in recognition of what the Hardacre Theater has meant and CAN mean to the quality of life for those who live and work in Cedar County.

The Hardacre needs YOUR help to meet the grant threshold and make raising the curtain on the Hardacre’s ENCORE a reality!

For more information visit us at hardacretheater.org or on Facebook at “Tipton Hardacre”