The Lincoln Theatre in Downtown Belleville is a familiar sight and popular gathering place. But did you know that Belleville used to have another theatre on Main, as well, just about as far from the town square to the west as the Lincoln is the east?

The Washington Theatre opened in 1913, and patrons could see both Vaudeville acts and movies there. It changed names at one point, and operated as the Illinois Theatre until it closed in 1955. The exterior of the building has been restored in recent years, and even though it’s no longer used as a theatre, the front facade looks much as it did in decades past.