The Renovation OfÂ
The Historic Ritz Theater
2003
 
In 2003, the final plans for the complete renovation of the marquee, lobbies, restrooms and house were submitted by the Indianapolis architectural firm of Jacobs Pannicke . Â Totally new restroom facilities, concession area and cinema office were built in the space that had been occupied by tenants since the theater was built in 1912. Â For decades, the space was occupied by two tenants in small store front spaces but in the last twenty years, the two spaces were joined and occupied by a local abstractor. Â They were very supportive of our improvement project but sad to have to move from their long time office space. Â The sadness was short lived as they purchased an office suite on the town square. Â They were very pleased with their new office space where they remain today. Â
In 2003, the final plans for the complete renovation of the marquee, lobbies, restrooms and house were submitted by the Indianapolis architectural firm of Jacobs Pannicke .  Totally new restroom facilities, concession area and cinema office were built in the space that had been occupied by tenants since the theater was built in 1912.  For decades, the space was occupied by two tenants in small store front spaces but in the last twenty years, the two spaces were joined and occupied by a local abstractor.  They were very supportive of our improvement project but sad to have to move from their long time office space.  The sadness was short lived as they purchased an office suite on the town square.  They were very pleased with their new office space where they remain today.  The renovation project was made possible by a generous bequest by Rockville native Paul Mull in the name of his mother, Marie.  Marie Mull played the piano for the silent movies during the 19so's and 30’s and son Paul often accompanied his mother to turn the pages of her music books.  Paul occasionally stopped by the theater after his return to Rockville after a lifetime as a Miami haberdasher.  He expressed relief that the theater was in the hands of people who genuinely cared for it.  On one such visit, he elaborated at length about the mysterious murals that most of us had only heard about from other old timers.  The murals were painted directly on the theater walls in 1912 and covered over with a massive system of acoustical baffles after the sound equipment for the “talkies� was installed in the late 1930’s or early 1940’s.  Photographs of the excellent murals can be seen on the HOUSE Renovation page accessible through the buttons on the left.  Photos of much of the 2003 renovation project can be found through these navigation buttons. 
Memorial plaque to the memory or Marie Mull
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