The building was constructed by the Fraternal Order of Eagles from 1905, and opened in 1906. The four-story building featured a large first-floor auditorium (used initially for vaudeville theater), meeting rooms, offices, and the order's meeting hall.[1] The auditorium was subsequently converted into a movie theater. It was remodelled by architect Alvin M. Strauss in the 1920s, and again by Strauss in 1939, when it was converted to the Art Deco style.[2]
The Eagles boasts one of the largest screens remaining in Indiana, has two balconies and a ballroom. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[2]
In 2010 the theater was acquired by the Honeywell Foundation, operators of Wabash's Honeywell Center. In 2017 the building closed for nearly three years, for an extensive $16 million renovation.[3] Prior to this, the building had fallen into poor condition, with the balconies and upper-story rooms dilapidated and closed due to safety concerns.[1]
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