Not a lot of history on its Wikipedia page: "A post office called Burley has been in operation since 1905. The community was named after David Ellsworth Burley, a railroad official." They always wqwent for the railroad guys if no one could agree on anything else. I wonder if there are any descendents who have no idea there's a town named after great-great-second-cousin David.

I’ll tell you this about Burley: it had some damned clever bricklayers.

Oh, you just hate to see all those wonderful windows bricked up!

Kidding. And you knew that! We’ve all learned a lot over the years. Cinema Treasures:

Amazingly, it has survived quite well. The original stage is completely intact, including barely used scenery flats that are still hanging from the rafters. The theater’s original lighting dimmer panel is also still intact and functioning. The theater’s facade, which was restored in 1991, is mostly original as well.

Thar be ghosts:

 

HOLY JEEZUM CROW

That’s fantastic, and everyone loves it, and there would be sadness if it was removed. So why don’t we do that today? Why?

 

So . . . they were guaranteed no one would build anything next to it? Okay, assume it’s an alley, and maybe the building on the other side burned.

Beautiful, once.

Given the different storefronts, the purpose of the single overhang seems unclear. Perhaps we can look a head in the google year slider to see if it was due for renovation, or -

Perhaps we can look a head in the google year slider to see if it was due for renovation, or -

 

Oh.

 

The dreaded 60s Slope. The stones on the entrance are cool. The smaller stones are a bit too much.

Another 60s screen. Much preferable to the Slope, just because it looks like it could cover a computer, or be a grille on a spaceship, or could be shrunk to use as the foil for an electric razor.

 

Another post-war rehab, of course.

RICH

Later? Earlier?

What do you think? (I ask the question because I trashed the original with the dates.)

It’s like the 60s building we saw earlier snuck around the back and took over a building on the other side of the block.

 

I guarantee everyone thought this was an improvement.

Okay, maybe not a big improvement, but it was new, and new was a sign of hope for downtown, wasn’t it?

OUMB, late 60s early 70s

OUMB early 70s

OUMB late 70s, early 80s

 

I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time

No, actually, I’m not.

Welp, as they say

The A frame - chalet look combined with Buckaroo Revival awning and a slanted window and those bricks makes for something we will charitably call “memorable.”

Ending on a humble note, with a palimpest, a tidy little building with modest decoration, another ghost sign . .

. . . and a tree that looks like it would really like to leave the scene.