The Bonstelle Theatre is a theater operated by

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

, and located at 3424

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(the southeast corner of Woodward and Eliot) in the

Midtown Woodward Historic District The Midtown Woodward Historic District is a historic district located along Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Structures in the district are located between 2951 and 3424 Woodward Avenue, and include structures on the corner of Charlotte ...

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.Temple Beth-El
from Detroit 1701.org. It was built in 1902 as the Temple Beth-El, and was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1982. As of 2019, the University plans to decommission the theatre and lease it to a private developer for inclusion in a boutique hotel.

Construction

When Rabbi Leo M. Franklin first began leading services at Detroit's Temple Beth El in 1899, he felt that the construction of a new temple building on Detroit's "Piety Row" stretch of Woodward would increase the visibility and prestige of Detroit's Jewish community. Accordingly, in October 1900, the congregation held a special meeting at which it was decided to build a new temple. The congregation purchased a site for the new temple in April of the next year and engaged member Albert Kahn to design the structure. Groundbreaking took place on November 25, 1901, with the ceremonial cornerstone laid on April 23, 1902. The first services were held in the chapel on January 24, 1903, and the formal dedication was held on September 18–19 of the same year.

Building

The temple is a Beaux-Arts structure influenced primarily by Roman and Greek temples. Sobocinski cites the

Pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone St ...

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for comparison. There is a prominent dome over the main area of the temple, with gabled wings on the north and south. A pedimented extension on the front once extended into a porch; the front section of the building was lost when the city widened Woodward Avenue in 1936.

Later use

When the Temple Beth El congregation constructed a new building farther north along Woodward in 1922, they sold the building at Woodward and Eliot to Jessie Bonstelle for $500,000. Bonstelle hired architect

C. Howard Crane Charles Howard Crane (August 13, 1885 – August 14, 1952) was an American architect who was primarily active in Detroit, Michigan. His designs include Detroit's Fox Theatre and Olympia Stadium, as well as LeVeque Tower in Columbus, Ohio, whic ...

to convert the building into a theater, and named the resulting building the Bonstelle Playhouse. In 1928, the Bonstelle Playhouse became the Detroit Civic Theatre, and in the 1930s, the Mayfair Motion Picture Theater. In 1951, Wayne State University rented the facility as a performance space for its theater company, and purchased it outright in 1956, renaming it the Bonstelle Theatre in honor of Jessie Bonstelle. The University continues to use the theatre through Spring 2020 after which it will lease the facility to The Roxbury Group for renovation and redevelopment. The University will continue to produce in the Hilberry Theatre and until the completion of the Gateway Performing Arts Center which is scheduled to open in Fall of 2021.

Gallery

File:BethEl1905.jpg, Temple Beth El, c. 1905 File:Jessie Bonstelle 001.jpg, Jessie Bonstelle in 1908 File:Temple Beth-El (Bonstelle Theatre).jpg, View of the theater from the south, with the name visible near the roof of the stagehouse

References

External links

Bonstelle Theatre - Wayne State University
these include photographs c. 1903 - 1922 of both the interior and exterior of the structure. {{National Register of Historic Places listings in Wayne County, Michigan Wayne State University Theatres in Detroit Midtown Detroit Woodward Avenue Former synagogues in the United States Jews and Judaism in Detroit Synagogues completed in 1902 Historic district contributing properties in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Detroit Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Event venues established in 1922 1922 establishments in Michigan Albert Kahn (architect) buildings Beaux-Arts architecture in Michigan Former religious buildings and structures in Michigan Synagogue buildings with domes