Rapp and Rapp


The architectural firm Rapp and Rapp was active in Chicago, Illinois during the early 20th century. Brothers Cornelius Ward Rapp and George Leslie Rapp of Carbondale, Illinois were the named partners and 1899 alumni of the University of Illinois School of Architecture.
A third brother, Isaac Rapp, was also a well-known architect, primarily in Colorado and New Mexico. The firm is well known as one of the leading designers of early 20th century movie palaces. It designed over 400 theatres, including the Five Flags Theater, Dubuque, Iowa, the Chicago Theatre, Bismarck Hotel and Theatre, Oriental Theater, Chicago, and the Paramount Theatres in New York and Aurora. If murals were to be included in the interior design look, Louis Grell of Chicago was commissioned to paint them.

Buildings

Some of the notable buildings that the firm designed include:

Chicago, Illinois

;Baraboo, Wisconsin
;Denver, Colorado
  • Paramount Theatre
;Champaign, Illinois
  • Orpheum Theater
;Joliet, Illinois
  • Rialto Square Theatre
;Davenport, Iowa
  • Capital Theater
;Sioux City, Iowa
  • Orpheum Theatre
;Wichita, Kansas
;Ashland, Kentucky
  • Paramount Arts Center
;Detroit, Michigan
  • Michigan Theatre
;Kansas City, Missouri
;St. Louis, Missouri
  • Ambassador Theatre
  • St. Louis Theater
;Jersey City, New Jersey
;Buffalo, New York
;Middletown, New York
  • Paramount Theatre
;New York City
  • Paramount Theatre, Brooklyn
  • Paramount Theatre, Times Square
  • Loew's Kings Theatre, Brooklyn
;Cincinnati, Ohio
  • St. Francis Hospital
;Cleveland, Ohio
  • Palace Theatre
;Youngstown, Ohio
  • Warner Theatre
;Tulsa, Oklahoma
;Portland, Oregon
;Erie, Pennsylvania
;Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
;West Chester, Pennsylvania
;Providence, Rhode Island
;Mitchell, South Dakota
;Chattanooga, Tennessee
;Memphis, Tennessee
;Charlottesville, Virginia
;Seattle, Washington
;Madison, Wisconsin
;Milwaukee, Wisconsin
;Kenosha, Wisconsin
;Racine, Wisconsin
;Streator, Illinois