Comments on: Haunted Hallway

By: Lynette M

Lynette M — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:47:48 +0000

Oh, that story of the chainsaw just hurts.

Let’s hope the rumored dreams regarding restoration are true.
Though I’m torn. Despite the fact that rotting plaster and birds roosting on the windowless sills add no value, it was still very cool…

By: Lynette M

Lynette M — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:39:50 +0000

Old bulbs? I’m intrigued. Did they look different? Were they old fixtures? What do you remember what it was about them that made them different from the curling things we have now. Or even the nice simple regular bulbs?

I do remember the crumbling plaster. I claim to be unsentimental, but there is something about … what? Old, decaying, elderly… I really don’t know, but there is something about aging buildings that just… pulls my heart strings. I love them. Even the smell of old buildings. The … whatever it is. I just love it. I’m glad you’ve been there.

By: Lynette M

Lynette M — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:35:25 +0000

Oh, I would have loved to see those towers. This is just such a great reminder to take photos. Even of the boring, seemingly random stuff. We could have an earthquake tomorrow. We’d be fine, of course, but the buildings could be altered forever. Photos are the best record we’ve got…

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:05:57 +0000

The building also had a taller roof at one time, like the old County Hospital, and those corner semi-towers were real towers. I think it was earthquake damage that cased them to flatten it.

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:03:11 +0000

The arch over the stage on the third floor is still there, even had a lot of old bulbs still in it 5 years ago or so. A lot of the plaster had crumbled. What has happened to the space after the shop next door to the building burned and the fire department had to soak everything with water, I don’t know. It was still being used as a rehearsal space a year ago, but we were rehearsing in the room below it on the first floor.
At one point there was a gym in the second floor space, don’t know what that is being used for.
Although, come to think of it, the first floor room has a very high ceiling…

By: Ross Rowley

Ross Rowley — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:50:37 +0000

Here is the story as I hear it. My mother worked in that building in 1950 and 1951. There is much written about the Ingomar Theater. It was a very opulent theater with huge procinium arches. The theater covered three floors on the interior of the building. In the 1970′s Simas Furniture operated out of the space now occupied by the Discovery Shop and fomerly The Works. As I heard the story, Mr. Simas leased the old space of the now vacant theater to store his warehoused furniture. In doing so, He built a floor where the second floor would be for storage. When he did it, he took a chainsaw to the arches and just destroyed the old theater. Now, Northern California Indian Development Council owns the building and there are hopes to restore the majestic theater to it’s former glory. It is currently being used for theater rehearsals, I believe. Now, this is all an unfounded story, but it seems to be retold by many.

By: Lynette M

Lynette M — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:53:32 +0000

I probably shouldn’t admit this given where I currently work (it was a long time ago and maybe I’m making this up), but anyway,
years ago I was wandering around in that building and kept… finding open doors. Stairways. I eventually found myself on the top floor (if this is the same building) in a large open space, once opulently decorated but then in ruins.

Pigeons roosting on the the sills of broken windows, rubble on the floor. And the ghost of this incredible domed ceiling still visible.

I’ve heard since that folks have been renovating that space. I really hope it is true.

By: deb

deb — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:12:25 +0000

yep, that’s it. before the hallways had cheap carpet installed

By: Ross Rowley

Ross Rowley — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:51:47 +0000

I believe it’s the Ingomar Theater Building at 3rd and F. Above the Discovery Museum.

By: Fred Mangels

Fred Mangels — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:27:30 +0000

I don’t see any ghosts, and I’m an expert of sorts. I watch Ghost Hunters on TV.