Benld's Coliseum Ballroom destroyed in fire

BENLD — A decades-old theater in the small central Illinois town of Benld that once hosted musicians like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington has burned down.

The Telegraph in Alton reports that the Coliseum Ballroom on Illinois Route 4 burned on Saturday night. Building manager Kelly Swanson says the band Shadow of Doubt was playing when members saw the fire and asked the audience to exit. Swanson says between 60 and 80 people were in attendance at the concert.

The ballroom was built in 1924. Smoke rose Sunday from where the stage had been in the 10,000-square-foot building. Part of the building was made into an antique mall.

Swanson says Benld fire officials are investigating the cause of the blaze.