Clarke Theater   After the Bijou Theater closed in 1908, Clarke remodeled the building to show motion pictures.  The Clarke Theater stayed open at 1813 Broadway until the 1960's.  Jim Upchurch renovated the building in the 1970's for his engineering business.  He made the main entrance in the rear facing the parking lot.  Little attention was given to the aesthetics of the Broadway side of the building.  But elements of the theater were preserved inside.   The Upchurch Group recently moved out of the building and the building along with the parking lot facing Charleston Avenue was purchased by K.C. Summers.  The plans for the building are unclear.   Downtown Mattoon has been lacking a theater since Kerasotes moved east of town.   A Theater would give people a reason to be downtown after the dinner hour and be much more convenient then the Super Cinema half way to Charleston. Elements of the old theater have been preserved on the inside.   Home