Essanay Studios Restoration
This initiative seeks to raise $100,000 of the $250,000 for the restoration of the Essanay Studios iconic terra cotta entrance as the launch and first phase of the $3 million for restoration and rebirth of the Essanay Film Studio Complex as the Essanay Centers for Early Film and Cultural Performance. This work will include much needed repair and restoration to the building’s exterior and rebirth of Studio A, the original working studio, as an education center for learning about Essanay and the early film industry, a working production studio, and performing arts space.
We’re working hard to raise funds through other initiatives, but we need your help to bring Essanay back into the limelight, more details at: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/save-and-restore-essanay-studios and watch the video below for more information:
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St. Augustine College is undertaking the restoration, renovation and reuse of portions of the St. Augustine College campus, formerly home of Essanay Studios. Essanay Studios, 1333 -1345 West Argyle Street, was designated a Chicago Landmark by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks on March 26th, 1996, and acknowledged as the most important structure connected to the city’s role in the history of motion pictures.
The main objective of this initiative is focused on the redevelopment of the Charlie Chaplin auditorium, a former film production space and adjacent areas as a multipurpose event space that ties into the other spaces in the College.
Key areas of this initiative include:
– The 1345 West Argyle building exterior a determination of existing condition of the terra cotta entrance the development of a plan for repair and maintenance, and treatment recommendations that preserve the integrity of the entrance.
– The 1333 West Argyle 2-story structure both interior and exterior an architectural evaluation for character defining features, a determination of existing condition of the buildings structures, development of a plan for repair and maintenance, treatment recommendations that preserve the integrity of the building.
– The 1333 West Argyle 2-story structure the development of renderings based upon the recommended architectural reuse and reconfiguration to meet the uses based on the programming of the building and including estimated cost projections to complete these improvements.
– The 1333-1345 West Argyle sidewalk and public spaces repairs to the sidewalk, landscaping, and lighting.
Essanay Centers
The restoration and reuse project of Essanay Studios will enhance the life of the Uptown Community and the life of St. Augustine College. The Essanay Studio Complex is owned by the St. 
Augustine College, which uses it for classes, meetings, and other activities related to their educational mission. It is a well suited reuse for these buildings, which already contained varying program elements and different types of spaces to accommodate them.
The restoration and reuse project includes the portion of the 1333 West Argyle St. building which contains the Charlie Chaplin Auditorium/Studio A and the adjacent areas which include the portion south of Charlie Chaplin Auditorium/Studio A that currently incorporates the bookstore and bathrooms and excludes the Culinary Arts Program facilities. The other adjacent area includes a portion of the basement of the 1333 West Argyle St. building east of the Charlie Chaplin Auditorium/Studio A.
Additionally, the restoration of the terra cotta façade on 1345 West Argyle St is included in this project along with streetscaping for the entire length of the 1333 – 1345 West Argyle St. Complex.
The Essanay Centers for Early Film & Cultural Performance
The Essanay Centers for Early Film and Cultural Performance at St. Augustine College use the historic facilities of Essanay Film Manufacturing Company to educate, inform, and entertain visitors and local residents. The Essanay Centers create and sustain the multicultural use of the restored and renovated facilities for film, theatre, dance, and other performance and visual arts. The Centers will create strategic partnerships and alliances to attract funding for programs, performances, and education.
The Essanay Center for Early Film (ECEF)
The Essanay Center for Early Film (ECEF) is a historical repository of archival materials, references, and artifacts established through strategic partnerships including the Essanay Silent Film Museum in Niles, CA, private archives and other sources. The Center is space comprised for artifacts, access to digital archives and references, educational materials, training, and programs on early film. Additionally, the center uses the Charlie Chaplin Auditorium as a screening, performance and multimedia exhibition space for film related activities.
The Essanay Center for Cultural Performance (ECCP)
The Essanay Center for Cultural Performance is a space designed to accommodate the use of the historic Essanay Studios for the performing and visual arts including film, music, dance, theatre, and exhibition. The Center serves a resource for the cultural performance by community, national and global organizations and to build collaborative partnerships to educate and entertain. Additionally the Center serves as a resource for the utilization of the skills and capacity of the Culinary Arts program at St. Augustine College.
The North Façade of 1333 West Argyle St. containing the Centers For Early Film and Cultural Performance will be returned to its original configuration where possible, with brick cornices replaced, windows restored or replaced, and original entrances rebuilt. The west and east façades of the 1333 West Argyle St. building will be repaired and deferred maintenance undertaken. The south elevation will be reworked to reflect historic conditions, the windows will be replaced, and new openings will be created to support the new use of the building for its cultural programming.
Inside the Studio A/Charlie Chaplin Auditorium the large open space will be maintained and enhanced by the removal of all gypsum board partitions and other later modifications to the room. The curved projection wall, which is not original to the period of significance but has an appeal and importance of its own due to its presence for film in the studio space, will be moved to the east wall of the space.
In order to raise the funds needed to restore and renovate the space, Essanay has embarked on a campaign to raise money through grants, an Indiegogo campaign, a Gala event, and donations from fans directly through its site. Fans can visit the official site at www.essanaystudios.org to learn more or make a donation. Fans can also connect with the studio on Twitter (www.twitter.com/essanaystudios) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/essanaystudios).
Essanay Studios Historic Overview
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, Illinois, by George K. Spoor and Gilbert M. Anderson, originally as the Peerless Film Manufacturing Company. On August 10, 1907, the name was changed to Essanay (“S and A”).
Essanay was originally located at 496 Wells Street (modern numbering: 1300 N. Wells). Essanay’s first film, “An Awful Skate,” or “The Hobo on Rollers” (July 1907), featured Ben Turpin, who was then the studio janitor. The film was produced for only a couple hundred dollars and grossed several thousand dollars in release. The studio prospered and in 1908 moved to its more famous address at 1333-45 W. Argyle St in the Uptown area of Chicago.
Due to Chicago’s seasonal weather patterns and the popularity of westerns, Gilbert Anderson took part of the company to California, moving from Northern to Southern California and back on a regular basis. This included locations in San Rafael and Santa Barbara. They opened the Essanay-West studio in Niles, California, in 1913, at the foot of Niles Canyon, where many Broncho Billy westerns were shot, along with The Tramp featuring Charlie Chaplin. Gloria Swanson, Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin, Wallace Beery, Francis X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, Marguerite Clayton, Edna Mayo, Bryant Washburn and Rod La Rocque all made films at the Chicago branch of the studio.
The Essanay building in Chicago was sold to Wilding Pictures, a subsidiary of Bell and Howell formed by two former Essanay Studio employees. Then it was given to a non-profit television organization, WTTW Corporation, which sold it. One tenant was the Midwest office of Technicolor. Today, the Essanay lot is the home of St. Augustine College.
Brief Timeline
1907 George K. Spoor and G.M. “Broncho Billy” Anderson found Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. An Awful Skate; or, the Hobo on Rollers starring Ben Turpin is produced.
1910 20% of world film production is based in Chicago, IL
1910 G.M. Anderson films the first Broncho Billy western
1915 Charlie Chaplin is hired at Essanay Studio in Niles at $1250 per week, stays until moving on to Mutual in 1916.
1916 Anderson sells shares in Essanay Studios to Spoor for $900,000, moves from California to New York City.
1916 On February 16, the Niles Essanay studio closes.
1918 Essanay’s Chicago studio closes. Last regular release is A Pair of Sixes, released April 1, 1918, a feature starring Taylor Holmes. A final film, Young America, is finished in September 1918, but not released until 1922.