Lost theater, Airport Sub, 1931 to 2015
Eastown Theatre
Demolished in 2015
- Opened
- 1931
- Style
- Neo-Renaissance
- Torn down
- 2015
Designed by V.J. Waier
The Eastown Theatre stood in Airport Sub from 1931 until 2015. Here is what it was, who made it and where to find the spot today.
Then and now
What stands there now
Today
A vacant lot, publicly owned
Detroit's Eastown Theatre, designed by V.J. Waier, stood on this spot for 84 years. It came down 11 years ago. Today the spot is a vacant lot, publicly owned.
- 1931 Opens Eastown Theatre
- 2004 Closes Eastown Theatre
- 2015 Comes down Eastown Theatre
- 2026 Today Vacant lot, publicly owned
How we know what stands there
- County parcel records VACANT COMMERCIAL
Checked October 25, 2026. We never guess: a site no source speaks for shows no answer.
What is there now
A vacant lot, publicly owned
- Today Source: County parcel records
- Eastown Theatre came down Source: Historic Detroit
We checked Wikidata, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Rebuild Detroit's landmark records and the county parcel records on October 25, 2026.
The story
The Eastown Theatre went up in 1931, through the Depression years, when every new building in Detroit was a statement of faith.
V.J. Waier drew the plans, working in Neo-Renaissance.
It is gone now, demolished in 2015, and the map pin below marks where it stood.
Timeline
- 1931 Built Designed by V.J. Waier
- 2004 Closed
- 2015 Demolished
- 2026 Today 11 years since it came down
Where it is
8041 Harper Ave.
On this map
- 1 Eastown Theatre This place
- 2 St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church 0.2 mi
- 3 Kettering High School 0.2 mi
- 4 Stephens Elementary School 0.4 mi
- 5 Crockett Technical School 0.5 mi
- 6 M.M. Rose School 0.6 mi
- 7 Detroit Public Library (old) 0.7 mi
- 8 Packard Plant 0.8 mi
- 9 Nativity of Our Lord Church 0.8 mi
Street map from OpenStreetMap contributors
Who made it
More from Detroit in the 1930s
-
Brodhead Naval Armory
Building, built 1930, Art Deco/Art Moderne, by Stratton & Hyde
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Denby High School
School, built 1930, Art Deco, by Smith, Hinchman & Grylls
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Ambassador Bridge
Structure, built 1929, by Jonathan Jones
Photo: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
David Stott Building
Skyscraper, built 1929, Art Deco, by John Donaldson
Photo: Einar Einarsson Kvara aka Carptrash, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
Cooley High School
School, built 1928, Mediterranean Revival, by Donaldson & Meier, demolished 2026
Photo: Chuckjav, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
-
El Tovar Apartments
Building, built 1928, Art Deco, by Robert J. West
Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around the block
It is in Airport Sub. See the neighborhood's homes, pros and story.
-
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
House of worship, built 1923, Late 19th and 20th century revival, demolished 1992
Photo: Dorothy Kosteck, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
0.2 mi
- Kettering High School School, built 1965, by Roger Margerum 0.2 mi
- Stephens Elementary School School, built 1913, Arts and Crafts, by Malcomson & Higginbotham 0.4 mi
- Crockett Technical School School, built 1926, Collegiate Gothic, by Malcomson & Higginbotham, demolished 2025 0.5 mi
- M.M. Rose School School, built 1898, by Malcomson & Higginbotham 0.6 mi
- Detroit Public Library (old) Building, built 1877, Second Empire, by Henry T. Brush, demolished 1931 0.7 mi
-
Packard Plant
Building, built 1903, by Albert Kahn, demolished 2022
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company, no known restrictions, via Library of Congress
0.8 mi
- Nativity of Our Lord Church House of worship, built 1926, Renaissance Revival, by Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough 0.8 mi
Sources
Facts only, gathered from these sources. The story above is written by Rebuild Detroit. Every photo names its author and license where it appears.