This is likely the intersection at which the old Brooklyn Theater was located. Built in the same year the Great Chicago Fire occurred (1871), the ill-fated theater burned down just five years later during a performance of The Two Orphans starring Kate Claxton. The fire started when an oil lamp fell over and quickly engulfed the building. Three hundred actors, crew, and theatergoers were burned alive when the five narrow exits proved insufficient for a mass escape. Most sources claim the theater was located on Johnson Street at the intersection of Washington Street, otherwise known as Cadman Plaza East.
Click the blue marker for a description of and directions to the historic site of the Brooklyn Theater. More information and some great historical photos here.
View Larger Map
