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Matthew Zeak

PA Literary and Cultural Heritage Map – Final Draft

Topic: Mishler Theatre in Altoona, PA (Blair County)

“Blair County's Historical Playhouse”

The faint smell of cigar smoke, the apparition of a familiar man wearing funny hats, restroom sinks mysteriously turning on and off with nobody in sight, and a figure dressed in early 1900's clothing. These are just a few personal accounts some have recalled to describe their visit to the Mishler Theatre. Isaac Mishler, the theater's founder, decided not to leave the century-old theater even after his death according to local legend. These paranormal experiences are but one element that make this historical and culturally rich site in Altoona, Pennsylvania so intriguing.

Constructed in 1906 by architect Albert E. Westover and mastermind Isaac “Doc” Mishler, the Mishler Theatre was but one of many projects in his career in the entertainment industry. Isaac Charles Mishler was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on September 30, 1862. It was here during his youth, he would learn his business ethic. Isaac was the first person employed by Frank W. Woolworth at his first “Five-and-Ten” store where worked into his late teens.

Shortly before his 19th birthday on August 8, 1881, he moved to Altoona, Pennsylvania where he worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad for a few years. In his early 20s, Isaac enjoyed the first taste of his own personal business by opening up a successful cigar shop on 11th avenue in Altoona. The store became a hub for local baseball fans and Mishler being one of these fans, began promoting professional baseball. He promoted and placed teams in the Pennsylvania State League. Altoona's own baseball team won the state league pennant in 1886. This was an important time in Isaac's life as it can be considered the beginning of his career in the entertainment business.

Isaac's interest in this industry can not only be credited to his baseball ventures, but can also be stemmed up the family tree to his elder cousin John D. Mishler. During this time, John was an already very successful businessman in the industry having already created “The Mishler Theatre circuit” a few decades earlier in 1873. The circuit spanned nine cities across eastern Pennsylvania. John is also widely credited as creating the first modern theatrical circuit in America.

The next major step in Isaac's entertainment career began in 1893 when he made business partnership with the “Eleventh Avenue Opera House”, a building on the same street as his cigar shop. This partnership soon turned into single ownership when Isaac purchased the property in 1896. Within the next decade he acquired several more theaters in surrounding areas and soon made plans to create his own. His plan became reality on February 15, 1906 when the appropriately named “Mishler Theatre” opened it's doors on .

The theater was best described by Mr. Mishler himself when he made the statement during the theaters inaugural program “The policy of the New Mishler Theatre is to present high-class standard productions in a perfect manner to audiences safely housed in comfort and pleasing surroundings.” The theater was fully financed by Isaac himself. The venue can seat nearly 2,000 patrons and is still considered an architectural feat with it's luxurious state of the art interior which included air-conditioning by using blocks of ice placed underneath the auditorium that ventilated through the floor. The construction also had an eye-catching exterior that was a sight that was sure to draw the attention of the citizens as well as travelers passing through the then flourishing industrial city.

Altoona is city that is well known for it's railroads, especially in the early 1900s. The railroad station in Altoona was a major layover point for travelers who were venturing by train. Naturally, the city experienced new people entering and exiting everyday which created a prime business opportunity for Mishler as his newly constructed theater stood one street away from the train station.

The venue became a medium for the then popular vaudeville circuits shortly after its creation. Though located in a small city, the theater hosted performances of many famous names in the entertainment industry at the time including Harry Houdini, John Wayne, W.C. Fields, Sarah Bernhardt, and Al Jolson just to name a few. These were talents that rarely visited venues in smaller cities which is quite remarkable. Though the theater enjoyed great success in its infancy, it would not be long before the venue would experience an unfortunate and untimely disaster.

On October 19, 1906, just over eight months since it first opened, the theater was completely destroyed due to a fire in the neighboring furniture building Oliver Rothert. The building was in ruins with the fire leaving nothing but ashes and debris. Though devastated at this great loss, Isaac Mishler did not hesitate to immediately organize the reconstruction of his masterpiece.

Through insurance claims and more personal finance, the building once again opened it's doors exactly three months later on January 19, 1907. The Altoona Times described the event “Mishler Theatre, phoenix-like, has risen from ashes and is now grander than ever” and “The watchword in work of reconstruction – To be one of the largest, safest, and most beautiful playhouses ever built.” During it's reconstruction, Mishler didn't stop booking entertainment, he instead migrated his shows to his other local venue The Eleventh Avenue Opera House that was also located in Altoona and conveniently a block away from the currently destroyed theater.

Though the investment to reconstruct had drained Mishler of much of his financial resources, he

managed to continue booking big name talent for the next couple of decades and even brought motion pictures to the theater as it slowly stole the spotlight and dwindled the vaudeville era. For the remainder of Isaac's ownership the theater mainly ran movies until he sold the building in 1931. Isaac Mishler remained in the entertainment business until he died at the Penn-Alto hotel in his hometown of Lancaster, PA in 1944 after battling a long illness. He was buried in Altoona alongside his two former wives. On May 4, 2003, a historical marker was placed outside of the Mishler Theatre in Altoona as a dedication and preservation to Isaac for his lifetime accomplishments and historical significance.

The theater has remained active for the past eight decades despite nearly being a site of demolition in the 60s. It was during this time that the Blair County Arts Foundation rescued the building by buying the property. Since their purchase, they have put a colossal amount of financial resources into restoring the aging theater. To date, the foundation has invested over $1 million into an ongoing restoration project and the theater remains in operation today providing a place for local talents and organizations to perform. The entertainment is organized by The Altoona Community Theatre who produces and directs many of the performances held at the Mishler. There are 4 major live theatre productions performed annually as well as several musical and family events which are enjoyed by over 10,000 patrons every year. The productions are rehearsed and maintained a block away from the theater at the former Altoona Elks Lodge in which the ACT has purchased in 1983. Also located here is the office of operations manager Steven C. Helsel has been in charge of managing the events held at the Mishler for the past 23 years. Helsel also participates in directing some of the many productions that are held at the theatre including "Jekyll & Hyde," "Beauty & the Beast", " Miracle on 34th Street", and most recently “Working: A Musical”.

Presently, the theater is not only notable for it's historical significance, but has through the past several decades received much attention for it's supposed hauntings. The site has become somewhat of a popular haunted attraction for many paranormal enthusiasts. It gathers so much attention that it was payed a visited by the cable television show “Ghost Hunters”. In 2004 the show visited Altoona to visit two reportedly haunted locations: the Mishler Theatre and The Altoona Railroaders Museum. The investigators on the broadcast note what they are informed about which is the popular local legend that Mr. Isaac Mishler's ghost is often seen walking throughout the theater on the catwalk and near his office with a cigar in his mouth. They however, come to the conclusion that the site is fact, to their standards, not a haunted one.

Madeleine Letsche of Altoona Pennsylvania also recalls a time during her youth when she would spend time with the ghost of Mishler as he would tell her about his love for theater and would often wear different funny hats. A few more accounts of these experiences come from employees of the theater, Technical Directors Brian McConnel and Marlene Liszka. McConnel recalls a few times he has encountered such experiences such as claiming to see the ghost of Mr. Mishler himself observing him work from the rafters above while during a different encounter he was hit in the face with water when there was nothing in sight that could have done such a thing. Letsche, who was a former Technical Director also recalls a few of her personal accounts on the matter by claiming to have seen a woman dressed in 1930s clothing in the woman's restroom, hearing sneezes, and also noting while on stage she saw a man who was offstage “looking through a phone book and who didn't resemble Isaac Mishler”.

Although long passed on, Isaac “Doc” Mishler, the remarkably successful businessman from Lancaster has left behind him a legacy and significant history in Blair County Pennsylvania. Thanks to the Blair County Arts Foundation, it is still a place where patrons can go and enjoy quality live entertainment while they reminisce the theater's exciting history. One may also catch a glimpse of Mr. Mishler himself while they are there, just remember to look for the man smoking a cigar or wearing a “funny” hat.

Selected Bibliography

"Altoona's Historic Mishler Theatre Has Ghostly Tales." A Travel Guide to Unique Pennsylvania Attractions. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .

“Altoona Mishler Theatre, A beautiful PA landmark.” Pennsylvania Mountains of Attractions. Web. 07 Oct 2010.

Beitler, Stu. "Altoona, PA Down Town Fire, Oct 1906." Search Now! 18 Oct. 2008. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .

Eblin, Jennifer. “The ghosts and history of the Mishler Theatre in Altoona, Pennsylvania.”

Associated Content. 12 Mar 2008. Web. 09 Oct 2010.

"Ghost Hunters" Mishler Theatre and Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum (2004) - Plot Summary." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .

Grau, Robert. "Chapter VI." Forty Years Observation of Music and the Drama,. New York: Broadway Pub., 1909. 194-95. Print.

Gurbal, Ashley. "Mishler Theatre Receives $150K Federal Grant."  - Altoona, PA | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - The Altoona Mirror. 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .

"John D. Mishler." Distinguished Successful Americans of Our Day. Containing Biographies of Prominent Americans Now Living, Noteworthy as Having Achieved Success in Their Chosen Avocations in the Various Civil, Military, Educational, Religious, Industrial, Commercial and Other Lines of Human Effort...founders, Makers and Builders of Our Great Republic...in the Development of Our Nation in All Lines of Human Endeavor.Chicago: Successful Americans, 1911. 519-20. Print.

"Mishler Theatre Planned To Ecplise All In Grandeur." The Altoona Times 28 Nov. 1907. Print.

"Mishler Theatre, Phoenix-Like, Has Risen From Ashes." The Altoona Times 7 Jan. 1907. Print.

Nesbitt, Mark, and Patty A. Wilson. "Haunted Mishler Theater." Haunted Pennsylvania: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Keystone State. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 2006. 73-77. Print.

"Opening of The New Mishler Theatre Monday Evening." The Altoona Times 21 Jan. 1907. Print.

“Pennsylvania Historical Markers: Isaac Mishler”. Explore PA History. 2007. Web. 07 Oct 2010.

Note: Images not taken by me were permitted by Steven C. Helsel of the Altoona Community Theatre. He can be contacted at ACT@

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