Group that saved, restored Art Deco theater wins top prize

FOWLER, Ind. (AP) - A northwest Indiana group that saved a movie theater slated for demolition and restored it to its Art Deco glory has won a top prize for its restoration work.

Indiana Landmarks recently awarded the Prairie Preservation Guild its annual Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration.

The nonprofit guild formed in 2000 after the Fowler Theatre's owner announced that the 1940 theater in the town of Fowler about 25 miles northwest of Lafayette would be stripped of its Art Deco elements and demolished.

The Prairie Preservation Guild bought the building and spent 14 years restoring the theater to its original appearance, including its striking two-tone blue facade with neon lights.

The guild devised a three-phase, pay-as-you-go restoration plan and also raised more than $100,000 to convert the theater to digital projection.