The Rialto Theater Company was chartered in 1924, planning to spend $60,000 to construct this 2-story building. It was designed to be a musical comedy playhouse. The O’Brien Girl, a George M. Cohen show, was the first production when it opened on November 24, 1924. It sold for use as a store in 1931 to T.L. Stovall, but the theater continued as a live venue until the 1940s, when it was converted into a movie house. In 1956, Holtsinger Motor Co., with its main office close by, bought it for $17,500. Using it for storage and car repair, they cemented over many of the original windows. Property value in the area continued to decline.

After being vacant for over 10 years, wife and husband team Hope Donnelly and George Carter bought the leaking, unkempt structure for $515,000 and began a massive restoration in 2014. The couple now runs the event space as 8-Count Productions. In 2016, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built with yellow bricks and an ornamental tile front, similar to other buildings in the area, it is an anchor in what has become known as Yellow Brick Row on North Franklin Street.

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