Duke Brothers building
The Duke Brothers building is a three-story commercial building constructed in 1922 by Louis Pizitz for lease to the Duke Brothers Furniture Company. It was built on the site of the former Majestic Theater at 1808–1810 3rd Avenue North.
Pizitz bought the theater in 1916 for $150,000 and continued leasing it to the Chicago-based Interstate Amusement Company, and later to local National Amusement Company, led by manager Frank Maddocks. They lost their lease in 1921 and Pizitz signed a deal negotiated by the Kendrick-Houseal Real Estate & Insurance Co. to replace the 15-year-old building with a modern business house for Duke Brothers, who would commit to a three-year least at $13,800 per year.
The theater closed on December 31, 1921 and the top two floors of the four-story building were removed. The Smallman-Brice Construction Company took out a building permit on February 2, 1922 to construct a new third floor for $29,000. When it opened in April, the new store combined several existing business locations for the four Duke brothers, including the previous downtown store at 1813 4th Avenue North, small-town locations in Lineville and Ashville, and the former Harris-Lovelady Furniture in Ensley.
The store's formal grand opening was held on Friday April 21, 1922.
References
- "Majestic Theater To Be Torn Down To Make Way For Furniture Store" (October 30, 1921) The Birmingham News, p. 1
- "Remodel Old Majestic" (February 3, 1922) The Birmingham News, p. 17