Haunted Illinois: The Ghosts of the Lincoln Theater

Residents of Decatur, Illinois have heard stories that the local Lincoln Theater is haunted. Those of us who live outside of the city, or the state may not have heard the same stories. Though the stories are popular, they are also fairly localized to the town. This isn't a place that you would expect to see the ghost hunters investigating any time soon.

The Lincoln Theater first opened its doors in 1916 and quickly became one of the most popular attractions in Decatur. Prior to being the Lincoln, this same site held the old Priest Hotel. The Priest opened in 1880, and lasted until a fire ravaged the building in 1904. Though the hotel was rebuilt on the same spot, another fire destroyed the building in 1915, and some people believe the ghosts of that fire still haunt the area.

The fire began when some rags caught fire near the boiler. Though there were some efforts to stop the fire, it quickly grew out of control. Once the fire was stopped, the bodies of two guests were found. Other guests went missing, but no one is quite sure if they died in the blaze or escaped without a word.

When the new building was constructed on top of the old site, it was given the name the Lincoln Square Theater. The new theater was built to last, with precautions such as a two-foot thick firewall added to protect the building against future fire damage. The theater was an instant hit with residents who came to see the hundreds of plays, vaudeville acts, and musical groups that passed through the town.

The Lincoln remained in operation for a number of years, with ownership passing to a few different organizations and people. During the 1980's, the owners leased the building to another corporation, but finally shuttered the theater for good. Before leaving the Lincoln though, the owners stripped the building of many of its valuable parts, leaving behind only a shell. Restorationists are working hard to turn this old historic building back into something grand once again, though they have their work cut out for them, especially when you factor in the ghost stories.