The Garfield opened in 1927 and closed in 1967. From then until 2005, it was home to the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Greater Milwaukee, a community outreach and vocational training center. Plagued by scandals and financial difficulties, the OIC-GM shut down, and the theater fell into the hands of the Greater Philadelphia Church of God in Christ. In 2006, the Church began removing interior walls and drop ceilings built by the OIC, and the Garfield's ornate interior was seen again for the first time in nearly forty years. The lobby's original Perlman chandeliers have hung in a private residence in Barrington, Illinois since 1992.
Photographed July 24, 2005
Garfield Theater on Cinema Treasures