Foster Building (Demolished)

720 Walnut Avenue

Completed in 1913

Architects: Proudfoot Bird Rawson

Built for Foster Realty Company – to replace the Foster Opera house after a 1911 fire

Original building Foster’s Opera House was constructed in 1876; the architect was William Foster.

Retail on first floor, opera house on 2nd floor with seating for 600.

100 attractions a season were scheduled, usually Nov-Feb, last performance Sep 2, 1911.

Current building completed in 1913 on 1876 building foundations and basement.

Hotel Foster, addressed at 218 Eighth Street and located on 2nd and 3rd floors, operated until 1960s.

1985 comprehensive renovation for office use and first floor window walls.

Designed by Brooks Borg Skiles for current owner EMC Insurance.

Renovation design features: first floor window walls that emulate historic recessed entries with translucent upper glass panels to have similar appearance as original prism glass, reconstruction of removed sheet metal cornice between first and second floors, wood windows on upper floors to match historic windows, paint color match to historic colors.