I’m wondering if we have the right address. The 1922 map shows this building as a garage. Could have been converted later, but there is a movie theater to the south. Not sure if I should add that one as a new entry.
The Majestic was closed, but the map is from September 1920, so it might have been pretty recent. I agree that the State is an unlikely member of the four. In that case, they’re talking about the Valentine, and three other theaters that we don’t know anything about. I find that extremely unlikely. This was never a really large town. There are Polish, Italian, Slovenian, and other social halls in town and in the close suburbs, so perhaps some of those had informal showings of films in their native languages?
Four more? The Valentine and Majestic would be two, maybe the State (although the maps don’t mention movies at that point), so there’s at least one missing. Nothing else on the 1920 map, so maybe something that opened just after and had already closed?
I can’t place this one at all. The only theater on the 1925 map is the Rialto. But if it was listed separately, it must have been somewhere. Town isn’t all that big, and I’ve combed the 1925 map a few times to make sure.
The address was 131-133. This was a hastily erected structure, basically a big wooden shed. It appears on the 1911 Sanborn. That location is an empty lot in 1904, and the 1925 map shows it returned to that state.
This was built sometime between 1892 and 1897. It was originally Kane’s Theatre, but the name was changed to Renovo sometime between 1905 and 1911. The 1905 Cahn guide gives the capacity as 800, and the owner as John Kane. The structure on the 1925 map appears identical (no name is given). This can’t be the 1919 theater. Just an empty lot today, so this needs to be listed as demolished.
The address is 336. This theater was open by 1911. It was in the Eagles building, with the hall upstairs. The building was constructed sometime after 1904. To say time has been unkind to Renovo would be an understatement, but this building survives. It seems that the Eagles may still meet here.
I’ve added a map view, which is turned 90 degrees, with north at the right. The larger building in the upper right is still there, which helps locate the spot where the theater was.
Address is wrong. 1 S Hickory was a large wooden house on the corner. For some reason, both the 1907 and 1913 maps show the address as 1815, which must be wrong, but they correctly show the addresses for the houses to the south, and those remain unchanged today. 15 is likely correct, but it could have been any odd number between 3 and 15.
It seems likely that this was an adaptation of an old opera house. The 1885 Sanborn shows a two story wooden Grand Army of the Republic hall just north of the little row of houses (which are all still there). It appears that this had a small stage at the rear.
Sometime between 1891 and 1896, a large brick auditorium was added to the rear, extending all the way to Orange St. At this point, a small wooden, one story addition to the north side of the original building served as the ticket office. The 1905 Cahn guide calls it the Burnside Post Opera House (doubtless from the name of the GAR post), and gives the capacity as 1,000. By 1913, the Sanborn maps call it the Mt. Carmel Opera House.
With some small changes, this structure appears on the 1920 map, from which I have added a picture. No mention is made of movies on the 1907, 1913, or 1920 maps.
This theater was open by 1913. It was located in the Knights of Columbus building, which was constructed sometime after 1907. The present building appears to be from the late ‘50s or early '60s, and is one story shorter. We should probably list this as demolished.
The theater appears on the 1920 map. Despite a rather old-fashioned appearance, the building was not constructed until sometime after 1913. I’ll add a recent picture at some point.
The address is wrong. This was at 91 Montcalm, now the empty lot next to the ugly abandoned pharmacy. The building looks much older than 1937. I believe this was a remodel of Ive’s Opera House (later the Union Opera House), a brick veneered wooden structure which was built sometime between 1890 and 1895. At least through 1912, Montcalm was known as Exchange, and this would have had an address on W Exchange. Champlain (then known as Main) was the E-W divider.
The 1905 Cahn guide gives a capacity of 1,000. The opera house was on the second floor, with two storefronts below. Access was by a central staircase. It was definitely showing movies when it was damaged in a major fire sometime around March 15, 1916 (caused by someone using a torch to thaw water pipes).
The Miner Building was constructed sometime before 1885, and was originally a three/four-story wooden tenement building. This original portion was on the left side in the photo. The April 1912 Sanborn shows the footprint of the theater portion already laid out. A small addition at the rear of the tenement block is slated for removal, and the theater portion is supposed to be brick and concrete block. The 1919 map, however, shows that the theater was a wooden structure, and that it and the tenement portion were clad in metal siding. At least in the original design, the theater was only on the ground floor, with lodging above. What can’t be seen from the photo is that the eastern wall was at an angle, so that the building became wider toward the rear.
The Town Hall was built in 1855. The second floor had a hall and stage at least by 1885, and likely from the very beginning. In 1896, the building was extended to the rear, increasing the capacity of the ‘opera house’ to 875. The 1905 Cahn guide gives the capacity of the ‘Auditorium’ as 819. By 1906, the maps call it Festival Hall, and the 1919 (but not the 1912) map shows ‘Moving Pictures’.
The closing date is wrong. rivest is almost certainly correct, since the building was mostly demolished in 1953. The remains of the ground floor wall can still be seen in the alley. Part of the structure was incorporated into a large single story building housing a Woolworth’s and a W.T. Grant. The Woolworth’s portion has been demolished, and the Grant’s portion remodeled again. Photos in the Paramount listing show the building that replaced the Town Hall.
Function should be removed, this was never a church.
As stated on one of the photo captions, the original building was constructed in 1850. The 1885 Sanborn calls it the Williston Block. The old comment about the facade is wrong. It’s not brick, but granite. The original building ended about where the stone lintels stop in the alley. The 1919 map shows the area where the auditorium would be built partially occupied by a two story wooden grocery warehouse.
This building dates to well before 1884. The 1902 map shows a grocery in this space. The 1915 Sanborn calls this the Bijou Theatre, and says the capacity is 271.
The 1915 map shows the address as 51, although this had obviously changed by the ‘40s at the latest. Apartments were located on the second and third floors above the auditorium.
The Plaza was built as the Hampton Hotel, sometime between 1895 and 1902. The 1970s survey form says 1896, but their dates are sometimes off. The building’s architect was Curtis G. Page. There was a substantial addition to the rear of the building during conversion to a theater (the section without a cornice), which was occupied by the stage.
I’m wondering if we have the right address. The 1922 map shows this building as a garage. Could have been converted later, but there is a movie theater to the south. Not sure if I should add that one as a new entry.
That sounds like it has to be the one. There can’t have been two.
The corner was an empty lot in 1927.
The Majestic was closed, but the map is from September 1920, so it might have been pretty recent. I agree that the State is an unlikely member of the four. In that case, they’re talking about the Valentine, and three other theaters that we don’t know anything about. I find that extremely unlikely. This was never a really large town. There are Polish, Italian, Slovenian, and other social halls in town and in the close suburbs, so perhaps some of those had informal showings of films in their native languages?
The address does seem to have been 16, although we have to correct building.
Four more? The Valentine and Majestic would be two, maybe the State (although the maps don’t mention movies at that point), so there’s at least one missing. Nothing else on the 1920 map, so maybe something that opened just after and had already closed?
I can’t place this one at all. The only theater on the 1925 map is the Rialto. But if it was listed separately, it must have been somewhere. Town isn’t all that big, and I’ve combed the 1925 map a few times to make sure.
The address was 131-133. This was a hastily erected structure, basically a big wooden shed. It appears on the 1911 Sanborn. That location is an empty lot in 1904, and the 1925 map shows it returned to that state.
This was built sometime between 1892 and 1897. It was originally Kane’s Theatre, but the name was changed to Renovo sometime between 1905 and 1911. The 1905 Cahn guide gives the capacity as 800, and the owner as John Kane. The structure on the 1925 map appears identical (no name is given). This can’t be the 1919 theater. Just an empty lot today, so this needs to be listed as demolished.
The theater does not appear on the 1925 map.
The address is 336. This theater was open by 1911. It was in the Eagles building, with the hall upstairs. The building was constructed sometime after 1904. To say time has been unkind to Renovo would be an understatement, but this building survives. It seems that the Eagles may still meet here.
I’ve added a map view, which is turned 90 degrees, with north at the right. The larger building in the upper right is still there, which helps locate the spot where the theater was.
Found the 1927 map online at Penn State, and there is still no mention of movies being shown at that time.
Address is wrong. 1 S Hickory was a large wooden house on the corner. For some reason, both the 1907 and 1913 maps show the address as 1815, which must be wrong, but they correctly show the addresses for the houses to the south, and those remain unchanged today. 15 is likely correct, but it could have been any odd number between 3 and 15.
It seems likely that this was an adaptation of an old opera house. The 1885 Sanborn shows a two story wooden Grand Army of the Republic hall just north of the little row of houses (which are all still there). It appears that this had a small stage at the rear.
Sometime between 1891 and 1896, a large brick auditorium was added to the rear, extending all the way to Orange St. At this point, a small wooden, one story addition to the north side of the original building served as the ticket office. The 1905 Cahn guide calls it the Burnside Post Opera House (doubtless from the name of the GAR post), and gives the capacity as 1,000. By 1913, the Sanborn maps call it the Mt. Carmel Opera House.
With some small changes, this structure appears on the 1920 map, from which I have added a picture. No mention is made of movies on the 1907, 1913, or 1920 maps.
This theater was open by 1913. It was located in the Knights of Columbus building, which was constructed sometime after 1907. The present building appears to be from the late ‘50s or early '60s, and is one story shorter. We should probably list this as demolished.
The theater appears on the 1920 map. Despite a rather old-fashioned appearance, the building was not constructed until sometime after 1913. I’ll add a recent picture at some point.
The address is wrong. This was at 91 Montcalm, now the empty lot next to the ugly abandoned pharmacy. The building looks much older than 1937. I believe this was a remodel of Ive’s Opera House (later the Union Opera House), a brick veneered wooden structure which was built sometime between 1890 and 1895. At least through 1912, Montcalm was known as Exchange, and this would have had an address on W Exchange. Champlain (then known as Main) was the E-W divider.
The 1905 Cahn guide gives a capacity of 1,000. The opera house was on the second floor, with two storefronts below. Access was by a central staircase. It was definitely showing movies when it was damaged in a major fire sometime around March 15, 1916 (caused by someone using a torch to thaw water pipes).
The Miner Building was constructed sometime before 1885, and was originally a three/four-story wooden tenement building. This original portion was on the left side in the photo. The April 1912 Sanborn shows the footprint of the theater portion already laid out. A small addition at the rear of the tenement block is slated for removal, and the theater portion is supposed to be brick and concrete block. The 1919 map, however, shows that the theater was a wooden structure, and that it and the tenement portion were clad in metal siding. At least in the original design, the theater was only on the ground floor, with lodging above. What can’t be seen from the photo is that the eastern wall was at an angle, so that the building became wider toward the rear.
The Town Hall was built in 1855. The second floor had a hall and stage at least by 1885, and likely from the very beginning. In 1896, the building was extended to the rear, increasing the capacity of the ‘opera house’ to 875. The 1905 Cahn guide gives the capacity of the ‘Auditorium’ as 819. By 1906, the maps call it Festival Hall, and the 1919 (but not the 1912) map shows ‘Moving Pictures’.
The closing date is wrong. rivest is almost certainly correct, since the building was mostly demolished in 1953. The remains of the ground floor wall can still be seen in the alley. Part of the structure was incorporated into a large single story building housing a Woolworth’s and a W.T. Grant. The Woolworth’s portion has been demolished, and the Grant’s portion remodeled again. Photos in the Paramount listing show the building that replaced the Town Hall.
Function should be removed, this was never a church.
As stated on one of the photo captions, the original building was constructed in 1850. The 1885 Sanborn calls it the Williston Block. The old comment about the facade is wrong. It’s not brick, but granite. The original building ended about where the stone lintels stop in the alley. The 1919 map shows the area where the auditorium would be built partially occupied by a two story wooden grocery warehouse.
This building dates to well before 1884. The 1902 map shows a grocery in this space. The 1915 Sanborn calls this the Bijou Theatre, and says the capacity is 271.
The 1915 map shows the address as 51, although this had obviously changed by the ‘40s at the latest. Apartments were located on the second and third floors above the auditorium.
The Plaza was built as the Hampton Hotel, sometime between 1895 and 1902. The 1970s survey form says 1896, but their dates are sometimes off. The building’s architect was Curtis G. Page. There was a substantial addition to the rear of the building during conversion to a theater (the section without a cornice), which was occupied by the stage.