Fundraiser underway to restore Indiana's oldest surviving theatre

By: Taj Simmons

COLUMBUS — Columbus is a hotspot of modern architecture, but a new campaign hopes to revive one of its oldest gems. The long-abandoned Crump Theatre could become a 700-seat concert venue.

The Encore Project launched this month to raise money for a full restoration of the 135-year-old theatre. The effort follows five years of work from volunteers to reopen the Crump in a limited capacity.

"You have a vision. You have your hopes," said Jess Schnepp, the theatre's facilities manager and leader of the renovation crew. "You can see the possibilities, but the real question is, 'Does anyone else?'"

The Crump Theatre opened in 1889 as an opera house with later additions in the 1920s and 1940s. It has been in danger of demolition since at least the 1980s.

The Crump Theatre is now structurally sound after a series of improvements. The Encore Project hopes to raise money for a new lobby, additions to make the theatre compliant with the American Disabilities Act, and an air conditioning system.

"Even people who may have said, 'It should meet the wrecking ball' can come in and understand this is a place worth saving," Encore Project director Steve Sanders said.

Most importantly, the theatre hopes to repair and reopen its balcony so it can double its capacity and become a complement to other nearby performing arts venues.

"My very first experience was sitting front row, third seat in, on the balcony," Schnepp said. "I will never forget that."

"We have limited functions now," Sanders said. "We can get people in here and do some things, but we can't do everything."

The Crump Theatre has received several large donations to make it operational, including period-correct seats from the Indiana War Memorial and the sound system once used in Market Square Arena.

Schnepp said she's proud of how far the Crump has already come in her five years in charge of the theatre.

"When someone says, 'You saved it,' it takes a lot for that to sink in," Schnepp said. "You finally saw what you thought was possible. What you'd envisioned and hoped for. There it is."