Abandoned Howard Theatre To Be Demolished
LEBANON, PA — The following was sent in by Jonathan M. Crist:
The Harrisburg Patriot News carried a blub that the former abandoned Howard Theatre in Lebanon PA will be razed as part of the rejuvenation of the aging Lebanon Plaza Mall by its new owners.
The theatre opened in 1969 as the Trans-Lux. It was a typical upscale single screen shopping center theatre with seating for about 800. In the late 70’s it was twined into two side-by-side auditoriums of about 350 seats each by the then operator Fox Theatres of Reading PA who renamed the theatre the Howard after his deceased grandson.
Fox sold to Carmike in the early 90’s who proceeded to run what was left of the Howard into the ground. The Howard closed in 1998 following Carmike’s bankruptcy. By the time that it closed the roof leaked so badly the interior walls were stained.
Another shopping center theatre bites the dust.