“A small fire was set deliberately in the York Theatre yesterday afternoon, a state fire marshal declared last night after making a preliminary investigation. The inquiry was resumed at 9:30 this morning.
Detective Lt. Daniel A. Shimkus of the state fire marshal’s office in Worcester was called to the scene after theatre manager David MacDonald told Fire Chief Mervin Perley he found signs of arson in the theatre at 6:20 last night.
Athol Police first heard noise from a sprinkler alarm in the adjacent York Building at 3:30 p.m. Unaware that the sprinkler also serves the huge theatre in the rear, officials checked the main building only, overlooking the theatre itself which is set apart from the main York Building structure.
The fire department shut off the sprinkler at the main valve after finding no fire in the York Building. Fire officials at first theorized that low pressure touched off the sprinkler alarm without turning on the water.
Later, MacDonald entered the theatre to open the 7 p.m. show, the first show of the day. He noticed that water was on the balcony floor and a door leading to the rear parking lot was partially open.
In a storage room under the projection booth, where sprinklers are located, he found that chair stuffings were piled high. They were wet but still smoldering. Curtains, apparently intended as a fuse, officials said, were found leading outside from the room to chairs in the balcony, about eight feet away. There was some water damage to the storage room and the nearby balcony rug, and the storage room floor was partially burned.
Firefighters of Engine 1 then responded to put out the still-smoldering chair remains.
Chief Perley found two paper matchbooks, along with cigarette butts that he said apparently had been intended as fuses. One of the books had ignited.
MacDonald told officials that he had been in the theatre at 7 a.m., to open a window in the toilet. Investigators still have not determined if the window was the means of entry. There were no footprints in the grass outside of the window, and no dirt on the floor near the window.
Lieutenant Shimkus said pictures and fingerprint checks will most probably be taken today, and neighbors living in view of the back of the theatre will be questioned.
The movie was shown as scheduled last night, and regular showings will continue today, Chief Perley said.“ - Athol Daily news May 27th, 1961
Dates on the above text from the old website are not totally correct.
It opened as Cinema I & II on November 26th, 1970 and reopened by R/C theatres as the Hagerstown Cinemas 10 on November 16, 1989 and reopened as the Hagerstown 10 Cineplex on May 5th, 2006 and closed in 2007. Grand opening ads posted.
from the old website: “Welcome to the Hagerstown 10 Cineplex located at 20135 Leitersburg Pike (Route 60) in Hagerstown Maryland, home of the Hager Drive-in Theatre. In 1966 J. Kenneth Ridenour built the Hager Drive-in Theatre. Later in 1970 he built two indoor screens on the same property and still ran the drive-in theater. In 1986 the Hager Drive-in Theater closed down. In 1988 an additional 8 indoor screens were added creating the Hagerstown 10 Cinemas. On Janurary 15th, 2006 the doors closed and the "Reel Had Run Out” The Hagerstown 10 Cinemas were no longer operating. On May 5th, 2006 The entire property including the drive-in theater was re-opened and re-named the Hagerstown 10 Cineplex Inc. under new ownership and management. We are currently working on the drive-in theater site where 804 vehicles once parked for drive-in movies. We have obtained the original building plans from 1966 and plan to reconstruct exactly as it was but with new cutting edge technology. The Hager Drive-in Theatre will reopen spring 2007. (no connection with the Canadian Cineplex chain)
The Academy opened on October 18th, 1880 according to the newspaper clipping in the photo section that I uploaded. It closed on August 31st, 1954. It had an major reopening on November 12th, 1917.
Opened February 14th, 1921. Ad posted.
The first 7-plex in the world is the Capri in Dallas, Texas, which expanded to 7 screens in January 15th, 1971. Sorry, AMC.
National Amusements closed it on June 25th, 1981, final day of performances.
Believe it or not, France-Film is still in business owning the St. Denis and Cinema Quartier Latin in Montreal
France-Film présente « Maria Chapdelaine » au théâtre Cummings le 11 mai 1936.
Closed after a arson fire on May 26th, 1961
“A small fire was set deliberately in the York Theatre yesterday afternoon, a state fire marshal declared last night after making a preliminary investigation. The inquiry was resumed at 9:30 this morning.
Detective Lt. Daniel A. Shimkus of the state fire marshal’s office in Worcester was called to the scene after theatre manager David MacDonald told Fire Chief Mervin Perley he found signs of arson in the theatre at 6:20 last night.
Athol Police first heard noise from a sprinkler alarm in the adjacent York Building at 3:30 p.m. Unaware that the sprinkler also serves the huge theatre in the rear, officials checked the main building only, overlooking the theatre itself which is set apart from the main York Building structure.
The fire department shut off the sprinkler at the main valve after finding no fire in the York Building. Fire officials at first theorized that low pressure touched off the sprinkler alarm without turning on the water.
Later, MacDonald entered the theatre to open the 7 p.m. show, the first show of the day. He noticed that water was on the balcony floor and a door leading to the rear parking lot was partially open.
In a storage room under the projection booth, where sprinklers are located, he found that chair stuffings were piled high. They were wet but still smoldering. Curtains, apparently intended as a fuse, officials said, were found leading outside from the room to chairs in the balcony, about eight feet away. There was some water damage to the storage room and the nearby balcony rug, and the storage room floor was partially burned.
Firefighters of Engine 1 then responded to put out the still-smoldering chair remains.
Chief Perley found two paper matchbooks, along with cigarette butts that he said apparently had been intended as fuses. One of the books had ignited.
MacDonald told officials that he had been in the theatre at 7 a.m., to open a window in the toilet. Investigators still have not determined if the window was the means of entry. There were no footprints in the grass outside of the window, and no dirt on the floor near the window.
Lieutenant Shimkus said pictures and fingerprint checks will most probably be taken today, and neighbors living in view of the back of the theatre will be questioned.
The movie was shown as scheduled last night, and regular showings will continue today, Chief Perley said.“ - Athol Daily news May 27th, 1961
Announced closed on June 19th, 1962 after 5 years of weekend runs. Article posted.
Theatre may have been opened before, but never bought any ads in the newspaper.
1959 aerial posted.
Grand opening ad posted.
Grand opening ad posted.
Grand opening ad posted.
Dates on the above text from the old website are not totally correct.
It opened as Cinema I & II on November 26th, 1970 and reopened by R/C theatres as the Hagerstown Cinemas 10 on November 16, 1989 and reopened as the Hagerstown 10 Cineplex on May 5th, 2006 and closed in 2007. Grand opening ads posted.
from the old website: “Welcome to the Hagerstown 10 Cineplex located at 20135 Leitersburg Pike (Route 60) in Hagerstown Maryland, home of the Hager Drive-in Theatre. In 1966 J. Kenneth Ridenour built the Hager Drive-in Theatre. Later in 1970 he built two indoor screens on the same property and still ran the drive-in theater. In 1986 the Hager Drive-in Theater closed down. In 1988 an additional 8 indoor screens were added creating the Hagerstown 10 Cinemas. On Janurary 15th, 2006 the doors closed and the "Reel Had Run Out” The Hagerstown 10 Cinemas were no longer operating. On May 5th, 2006 The entire property including the drive-in theater was re-opened and re-named the Hagerstown 10 Cineplex Inc. under new ownership and management. We are currently working on the drive-in theater site where 804 vehicles once parked for drive-in movies. We have obtained the original building plans from 1966 and plan to reconstruct exactly as it was but with new cutting edge technology. The Hager Drive-in Theatre will reopen spring 2007. (no connection with the Canadian Cineplex chain)
There was an Temple theatre that opened or placed its first ad on December 1st, 1910 and closed. Could this be it?
Stopped showing movies full-time on November 29th, 1973.
The Academy opened on October 18th, 1880 according to the newspaper clipping in the photo section that I uploaded. It closed on August 31st, 1954. It had an major reopening on November 12th, 1917.
This opened as the Palace on April 2nd, 1902 and reopened an March 2nd, 1931 and closed in 1979. Grand opening ad as Henry’s posted.
October 28th, 2025 Airbus Satellite image posted showing its demolition posted.
Closed November 29th, 1973 by RKO Stanley Warner
Colonial theatre closing Nov 24, 1973 The Herald-Mail (Hagerstown, Maryland) Newspapers.com
The Colonial opened on August 15th, 1914.
Grand opening ad posted.
Opened September 12th, 1952. Small article posted.
This one didn’t last long, opened on August 28th, 1948 and closed on October 17th, 1948. Grand opening ad posted.
Opened as Victoria on June 10th, 1913 with open houses on the 7th and 9th. Article posted.