Money for its construction was donated by a Canton industrialist, Harry Ink, whose firm became prosperous by producing "Tonseline", a medication for sore throats; the Tonseline logo was a giraffe with a bandaged throat,[4] and such a giraffe was included in the interior design.

[5] In its early years, the Palace hosted a wide range of events: besides ordinary films, it hosted vaudeville performances and other stage productions, and numerous community events at the Palace placed it at the center of Canton society.

[4] Built of brick with elements of terracotta,[1] the Palace is a rectangular Churrigueresque building with a garden-themed main auditorium; its ceiling features elements designed to convey the sense of night and dawn, together with numerous stars, and the auditorium has a capacity of 1,509.

[1] Its historic status has been employed during events such as a 2012 fundraiser, during which its operators sought to raise more than $1 million to fund improvements to its utilities and its facade.

The Mansfield, Ohio paper Richland Source described volunteer organist Jay Spencer as "well known in Canton" for his skillful silent film performances.