I would need your email address to contact you. The line you mentioned “…it is clear from their pics…” indicates that you do have pictures of the interior of the Oswego. I would like to see them. I wouldn’t doubt it for a second that the Oswego was made more eleborate. Right off the bat it is the larger of the two theatres. More than likely it was probably the first one built in 1941 and they based the Norwalk theatre design on it. Now I do have a couple questions. If the proscenium was brought forward on the main screen, what was put behind it? Did they just make the stage deeper, or did they add dressing rooms, etc. The Norwalk does have a back wall but it lacks doors on the auditorium archway entries…thus they hung blue curtains over the doorways and just pull them back prior and post show. This is really one thing I do not like about the design of Norwalk because it is really impossible to carry on a conversation in the lobby with someone during a show (meaning when you are purchasing candy and such), because voices will ‘leak in’ to the auditorium. Not the best design in that aspect. As for the balcony conversion, it is pretty much how I envisioned it. But I will say that the Oswego must have had a HUGE balcony in order to support a double split like that. I think I would still stick with my idea of restoring the top of balcony but leaving the bottom, or as I mentioned above, use the bottom for another performance space. What is nice to know that there is an empty lot nearby. Parking is always an issue and if a parking field or garage could be made on that lot then that would make a project like this more feasible. As for a full restoration of the theatre…hmmmm, I really don’t think it would work out. Keep in mind you DO have to fill 1800+ seats and that is a difficult proposition for most small town theatres at best. Heck most small town theatres have a hard time filling a space that is half that size. To put things in a better perspective, most theatres in NYC don’t even come near the original occupancy of the Oswego. There are many many more people in NYC. However, as far as expanding the theatre into a full destination complex with a restaurant and a family entertainment center, I am all for that. In fact this exact plan I had for the Beaver Falls Granada Theatre in PA, but that project was too ambitious for me with limited financial means.
All in all, I am going to keep a close eye on the Oswego. If it does come up for sale (and for a reasonable price)…I would be on it. This theatre, the Norwalk (and hopefully others like them), should all be carefully preserved. The marquees are to die for alone. Both the Norwalk and Oswego theatres don’t have fully working marquees. With them fully restored, I am sure they would be a sight to behold.
Bummer…I would have loved to see pictures of the interior of the Oswego. As for other sister theatres, I have not researched it fully, but I would believe that if Schine had an expansion around the early 40’s then, yes, I wouldn’t be surprised that all the theatres from that era would have a similar design. The trouble would be finding out which theatres are still intact. Thus far the Oswego has be ‘butchered’ a bit…but it is not terrible. From the outside the theatre looks very restorable. I am happy to see the Oswego retains it’s original marquee. I personally think that the Norwalk and Oswego have one of the more attractive ‘triangle’ style marquees that I have ever seen. So to find two of them practically identical really had me reeling with joy. What more is that I am pretty much going to move north to the New England area so the Oswego will not be too far from where I will move. Yet, if the Oswego ever came up for sale…I probably would be interested in it. I absolutely adored the Norwalk Theatre, and I know that I could probably attain a similar attachment to the Oswego.
Just right now I am DYING to see some interior pictures of the Oswego…especially the main auditorium. I am hoping to see more similarities between this theatre and it’s sister.
WOW, that is a nice picture of the theatre. I always looked at this theatre like something was missing and I was right. The decorative panels over the marquee are missing as well as the crest piece towards the left.
I really hate it when they deface a building like that. NOW this way I like the building’s facade just as much as the Norwalk theatre, because now I can see it’s intended design. What I would do with this building is restore the panels, and put lights behind them, heh heh heh.
Now to only see what the inside used to look like.
This is Art Deco at it’s finest. I can see that it even shares the same arched doorways as it’s sister in Norwalk. It is just this theatre has 6 doors across the entrance and the Norwalk has 8.
What I find interesting is that the entrance and marquee are smaller on the Oswego in comparison to the Norwalk, yet the Oswego is the larger of the two overall. You would figure…bigger theatre, bigger marquee and entry way.
Now the question remains that while the theatres are sisters and built the same year…which one was constructed first?
Thanx for sharing Warren. This piece of information really has piqued my already brewing interest in this theatre.
I am curious as to if anyone knows how the Bellows Falls Opera House is coming along in terms of live performances. Last year I visited Bellows Falls, but the theatre was still only showing movies. They mentioned they were going to work on the stage areas to handle live shows. That was about a year ago, so I am wondering where they stand now with this project. Regardless I am planning a trip to go back to Bellows Falls in a couple weeks primarily to look for a place to live (yeah I am relocating to Vermont)…so I am probably going to poke my head into the Opera House to see what’s cookin' myself.
If you want the pictures for the Latchis, I will send them to you, but I need your email addresses. I am not going to bother with photo bucket. I have ALOT of pictures and I would have to send them to you via many zipped packages. Also you will need high speed internet connection or you will be up all night downloading.
The pictures are full shot 800 by 600 so they will take up quite a bit of space on a hosting site anyway.
Oh! I do have a You Tube and a Yahoo account, but again I am not sure what Yahoo’s bandwidth restrictions are and I am not even sure that you tube will handle pictures. I only think they do video.
I don’t know if you contacted the company that did that abomination of a conversion. They are still in business as I understand it and I believe they also have drawings of the theatre prior to the conversion. This may help you out in attempting to reconstruct the building.
My idea was to get the original plans as wells as the plans for the way the building is currently set up. Since you would never use the original 1600+ capacity, you could possibly do a partial restore in which much of the audiotorium’s originality could be maintained, but yet you can keep some space for retail rentals for extra income.
I do have to run, but you have my email address. Just contact me and let me explain to you what I saw done over at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, Vermont. What I saw in this theatre, changed my mind about theatre conversions…and I think the concept they adopted there could help you out here. In the end you will have a more versatile structure but yet still tastefully retaining much of it’s guilded past.
Hello Lost (Peter, you might want to ‘listen in’ on this).
The Krooner’s Lounge is located in the basement of the theatre. As far as I know the basement only extends as far as the original lobby did and stopped when the floor started to slope down. I was never in the club, so I am not 100% sure. I would say that the club would not really interfere with the restoration of the theatre and I personally had full intention of keeping the club where it was. The only issue that did come to mind was loud music from the club interfering with a performance in the main auditorium. More then likely heavy soundproofing techniques would have to be employed and this will add to the renovation costs. In fact I am not even 100% sure if such a total isolation could even be done. So this is a tough call, but a problem that has to be addressed nonetheless. One thing that could work out is if the theatre shows performances in a different time slow from when the club opens. Or the club could even open later (or play the loud music later). Again it is a tough call. I really didn’t want to put the cart before the horse, but it was something I was thinking about and it would have to be addressed. Since my plan was to create a full entertainment complex…having the nightclub within the building was a nice added touch and further, they are a tenant and a source of income. So certainly I would want to keep them where they are.
Peter, if your plan does get underway…this is something that you do have to think about. Probably the best thing to do is go in the theatre one evening when the club has an event going on and just do some sound tests for yourself to see how bad the ‘leakage’ is.
If isolation isn’t cost effective, then other constructive alternatives would have to be employed so the two business' do not interfere with each other.
Very nice link on those theatre…however, I don’t see the Oswego in that list on the top. Can you provide a more direct link? I don’t know where to look. Ok, I will contact you, but I do need your email address :).
It sounds like that they have perhaps did the same with both theatres. I do know that the Norwalk Theatre’s live capabilities were enhanced. They extended the stage and added an orchestra pit. They also changed some of the storage areas in the basement to additional dressing & makeup rooms. They also added an organ too. I found the organ a nice touch because the only other theatre I went to that had an organ/player was Radio City Music Hall. In fact due to the fact that the Norwalk Theatre is 90% all original, the townfolk did refer to the theatre as their “Little Radio City”. Ironically the foot mats in the vestibule are the SAME type used in Radio City’s vestibule.
The stage in the Norwalk was definitely shorter, but with the extension added on by Towne & Country the stage is about 30 feet deep. The fly space is only half height though and thus the battans are designed to roll the backdrops and background scenery. The movie screen also rolls up.
Towne and Country was very “Old School”, and as such, nothing in the theatre was computer controlled. The whole theatre had a very nostalgic touch and it could be one of the reasons why I fell in love with the place.
I guess overall I know that right off the bat I have a ‘closeness’ to the Oswego theatre even though I never seen it (in person) as of yet. I just know I will like it just because of the fact that it is the Norwalk’s sister.
I never seen interior pictures of the Oswego, either now or prior to it’s conversion. I have heard that of the two theatres, the Norwalk was always the ‘prettier’ of the two. However the Oswego is much larger…I looked at the overhead aerial shots of both theatres and the Oswego is huge, more than twice the size.
In terms of multi use, that would pretty much depend on the capacity of the main theatre. For live shows, this space should be about 600+. If that isn’t the case presently, then perhaps the balcony could be opened back up as it was originally. This would still leave 4 theatres that could continue to show movies. If the capacity of the main stage is currently suitable, then the balcony could be converted to another performance space, such as a dance hall. I would think this kind of variety at that location would make the building a very attractive place for entertainment.
Picture this: A family visits the theatre in the afternoon to see a movie. Then when the movie is over they partake in an event in the dancehall upstairs. Finally to cap the night off they see a nice live show in the main theatre. Realistically that will probably not happen like that, but offering the choice of different types of entertainment is what I am getting at…and it is likely that people would do two of the three things.
I have been thinking much about planning like this for old theatres because much goes into saving an old theatre besides just restoring it. There is the business side of the operation to consider as well. You do need people to patronize it. The trouble is that many old theatres like the Oswego (prior to it’s conversion), are just to big by today’s standards and that is how they were divided in the first place. I will be the first one to say that I am against the idea of the dividing a theatre, but I been to one theatre where the conversion was VERY tastefully done and it rearranged my thinking about creating multi-use venues within old theatres. The goal would be to restore the theatre by attempting to capture much of it’s original essence but yet, you have built in flexibility in programming and you have the advantage of more than one event that can be taking place. Bottom line is, more seats get filled. So in a way it is like having your cake and eat it too.
Just to let you know, this theatre has a sister which was built in the same year and is still operating as a single screen/live venue in Norwalk Ohio. It was also a Schine theatre. The theatre currently runs under it’s marquee name: Norwalk Theatre, but at one time it was also known as the Towne and Country Theatre
The theatre is listed here at Cinema Treasures. I strongly believe this theatre should also be registered as a landmark. I heard of the Norwalk theatre first and at one point wanted to buy it, but then I was tipped off on the Oswego Theatre and realized that this theatre is without a doubt, the Norwalk Theatre’s sister.
The good news is that that Norwalk Theatre has not been divided and is about 90% all original. It is also ready to handle live shows.
The Oswego Theatre is twice the size of the Norwalk Theatre. I could easily see this theatre being converted to a live venue multi-purpose arts house especially since it’s main stage is still intact.
I know one thing for sure, I missed out on the Norwalk Theatre, but if this one ever came up for sale. I am on it like there is no tomorrow.
I live in the Long Island area and I can pretty much say that the animal you are looking for is long extinct here. While at one time there were theatres that large, many have not been divided into multiplexes, have been torn down, or absorbed into retail outlets. The last large theatre that was ‘saved’ here on Long Island was the Patchogue Theatre. At around 1600 seats, this is considered a pretty large theatre for Long Island. Now this is not to say that you are without hope for your congregation, it is just that you are not going to find a dedicated theatre of this size. First question, do you have to buy the place? If not, then I am sure many college auditoriums would be fine. Perhaps you can enter into lease on a large building that could suit your needs. Which brings me to question #2. Do you really need a sloped floor? You could simply set up in an old warehouse and use risers for the seats to improve the view, install a stage and acoustically treat the place. Going this route, you could always easily remove the materials and transport them to a new venue. If you are dead set on purchasing a place I can tell you that on Long Island, you are not going to find something of that size cheap. Because you are a church and more then likely non-profit, you probably will be exempt from property tax so that is a good thing. But either you are going to spend in the millions to find a place that large, or you can find a cheap place that you have to stick plenty of money in to get it fixed up. Either way, you will be looking at alot of money.
Just for the record, I will say there is a closed multi-plex theatre in Coram, right by Rt 112 and RT 25. It is a good corner location. But the building is loaded with mildew and would require much clean up work. Further it is divided into small theatres and I seriously doubt it would be near the occupancy you are looking at (but it is probably close).
Other than that I don’t not know what else would be suitable. You would have much greater options if you rent or lease.
Someone would perhaps go into the theatre if it was for sale. But look at the aerial shot above. But think outside the box. Look at how crowded this area is and there is very little parking. There are small parking area here and there. Keep in mind that if this building does seat around 800 people, you should have at least 300 parking spaces available. Granted, maybe a bit less because this area does have access to mass transit (LIRR and buses). Then there is the use to think about. This theatre is way too small to convert to a live performance venue. That is really the only thing that would work out generate a good income. Maybe a non-profit arts movie house may work…but you could never do first runs here. Just in the next town, Valley Stream, you have a few theatres including a large one by the VS Mall. So that would be out of the question. With two screens you probably wouldn’t make enough money anyway. . Running old movies probably will not be enough to get people out of their homes. It is a pretty touchy situation, but perhaps as others pointed out because the building is not for sale, probably the owner is ramming up the rent. Once he gets discouraged enough, he probably will renovate the building to turn it into a retail outlet. CLASSIC Long Island for you.
The sad thing is that Long Island does need big theatres for live shows. Right now the only ones that I ever hear much about is the Patchogue Theatre and also Gateway Playhouse. Occasionally I hear something going on at the Airport Playhouse in Bohemia, but that is a really small place in an industrial area.
Just about all of Long Island’s large single screen houses are gone or have been converted to retail space.
Finally there is the cost of living/and or operating a business here. Taxes are VERY high. One of the highest in the nation. Add insult to injury with rising gas prices and people are just not leaving their homes anymore. So you have to make something affordable and attractive enough to get people to come to your theatre. Yet profitable enough to pay your bills.
I hate to say it, but I don’t foresee anything happening with this theatre anytime soon. If indeed that bank next to it owns the theatre, I am sure they will convert it to something they know they can lease at a high figure once they figure out no one is going to pay their present high rate to run the place as a movie theatre.
Lastly…look at the place. It’s a box. No character at all. It isn’t like it is a classic movie palace with a guilded facade and velvet seats and a gold clad proscenium arch.
Given this building’s size and it’s divided nature, I can almost assure you that the owner will eventually create two retail shops out of this building and then get TWO rents out of it.
I am sorry to say that, but realistically think about it for a while. It would be the easiest AND most profitable thing for the owner to do with an otherwise empty building.
I DID indicate in my post that even though Flischmann’s is a “…single screen theatre it is more suited for live entertainment”. As for the construction in the area, so far it is just that, rumors. Once I see some serious building going on in the area and some improvements are made to make the town more attractive, then it would be time for a reconsideration. Don’t get me wrong…as I said, I DO like the building itself. Just not the location presently. I guess we will just see what the future has to offer. I personally would love to see the theatre being used again. Unfortunately for me, right now, I do need something I can make money with right away with very little to no renovation costs. So it did rule out Flischmann’s very quickly. As I said above, the building does need work. But when fixed up, it could be a really nice entertainment complex.
The theater is closed. It is also no longer offered for sale by itself, but rather as part of a package deal with the town’s largest hotel. I have spoke to the prior owners of the theatre and they did want to see good come of the building, but ran out of money in mid renovations. The building is a very nice theatre and it has apartments and also store fronts. Typically it is everything I ever wanted in a theatre. It does still need work as the roof leaks, but it still is in very restorable shape. So why didn’t I go for it when the theatre was offered for sale by itself? Well, simply put…location, location and location. I didn’t care for the location. The town of Fleishmanns is VERY small and it is also bypassed by a main road. The only thing that is in the area, is one ski resort and traffic could be diverted from that resort into town, but it still is a lot to hinge an entire business on. The ski resort also offers entertainment via an outside tent. Being a single screen theatre, Fleishmann’s would be more suited to live entertainment. In a nutshell, I didn’t want to clash with the live entertainment the resort has going on. Also, thinking of the future, what if that resort went under? There really isnt much else in that area. Thus given it’s set back location and knowing the town itself was too small to sustain the business. I abandoned my interest in this theatre. It is not impossible to run a business out of this theatre, but one would have to be very creative and very strong with advertising and promoting to make this location work. Granted this is just my opinion, but for a first time operation for me, I just didn’t want to take the chance.
I am German, and your rough translation is close. The correct translation is “Meatman” or in American terms, a butcher. German words are often set up as compound words for a single meaning. For one, the drink Jaegarmeister is a compound word that loosely translated means “Master of Deer” or simplfied in America, Master Hunter. Another familiar term, Bergermeister loosely translates to “Master of Town” or here in America, A Mayor.
I could go on and on, but this is Cinema Treasures, not German 101.
There is a drive-in located in Bath upstate NY (yeah that is the name of the town). If you don’t mind the commute and want something to do with your summers, then I would check it out. Also PA usually has some theatres that are for sale, but again, you probably will have to make a trip out there. I think there are one or two available on PA’s North/West side.
I can pretty much say that if you are looking at this as a labor of love venture and a way to put some of your extra income to good use, then this is a very fun opportunity. However, you will not be making alot of money with it. When it comes to movies, unless you have a large multiplex where you can make a lot of money on concessions, sad to say it, but there will not be much money in movies. Like I said, it would be more of a labor of love thing.
LOVE 96.1 RCN??? Am I missing something here? Last I remember WRCN was a rock station.
The Coram Drive-In was perhaps a good piece of Long Island movie history, but to be honest with you UA has always had a knack for building showbox sized theatres and I am sure that place was no different than any other UA theatre. I never liked UA theatres…black bland boxes. So there is really nothing of historical value attached to that building. So personally I don’t mind if they bulldoze the place. (And according to JBock above, they may just have to do that). As I said above, I would rather see a Drive In return to that spot.
Overall it is very tough to find buildings to get attached to nowadays. In terms of modern theatres, I like the Stonybrook Loews. They at least tried to follow an Art Deco theme with that building. I think the last building I was attached to was the Babylon Theatre. It was the biggest theatre I went to when I was a child and the only one in the are with a balcony. But that theatre fell victim to UA’s theatre dividing in the 80’s. That too is another reason UA theatres leave a foul taste in my mouth.
Now if you really want to see a beautiful Long Island theatre, check out the Patchogue Theatre. It is a fairly new restoration and they pretty much use the building for performing arts rather than movies. But in terms of what a real theatre is like, one could get quickly attached to this place.
Wow! That sure is a nice chunk of info. I have heard about the vandalism of the property, but I have not heard about the mold issue. It must be very very damp in that building for mold to develop like that. I could be too that if they have a damp or wet basement, that may trigger it as well. If I am not mistaken, I think there is a small lake nearby the building.
I don’t imagine a multiplex like that having a basement, but I could be wrong.
True, if it wasn’t for the nearby fast food places, I think a drive-in could still work there. I do miss the Long Island drive-ins and it would be nice to see something like that return.
One nice thing they do have on the Island is movie night at the Brookhaven Amphitheater. The only thing is they never have first runs, but it is as close as you can get to a Drive-In. Just hope for good weather though.
Believe it or not…there has been some areas where drive-ins have made a come back. Upstate NY is one area where they have been reopening old drive-ins. In some states such as Texas, they not only have been re-opening old drive-ins, but they have even built new ones.
Ohio and Pennsylvania also have seen some resurgences in drive-in reopenings too.
But there is a pattern though. Most of these areas the land values have not skyrocketed as they have here on Long Island…but it does make one wonder. Long Island has over 5 million people on it and yet, no drive-in theatre exists anymore here.
For the person who ventures into this territory here, it could be a big thing.
What more is that I have the spot already picked out! The UA theatre is sitting right on the corner of Rt 25 (Middle Country Rd) and Rt 112. It is surrounded by trees too. And there WAS once a drive in here :).
Do you want to have a big laugh? You are very much correct in that that newer Cinema Deluxe Island 16 that opened up just two exits further up on the expressway from The Brookhaven Multiplex/AKA Medford Multiplex was the nail in the coffin for that cinema. The reason being was that the Medford Multiplex didn’t have stadium seating or the other amenities offered by the Island 16.
What most people DON’T know is that both theatres are/were both owned by National Amusements.
Yes, that is right. National Amusements put their own theatre out of business. To say that this is stupidity on the company’s part and you would normally be correct, however, at around the time the Island 16 was built, there was surgence in movie goers and the big wig movie companies fell into a false sense of security and began to overbuild. My wife worked for Loews and they made the same mistake in overbuilding as National Amusements did. So when the surgence subsided, many took to the new theatres and the older ones were left empty.
Naturally, National Amusements made a wise decision to quickly close and demolish the Medford Multiplex to avoid the competition from possibly taking it over.
The UA theatre at Coram is still standing. Normally this isn’t a bright move on UA’s part. But the theatre was falling into disrepair even long before it closed. The building would need a major overhaul now.
Personally I think justice should be served and the UA building should be demolished and the lot returned to a Drive-In once again.
If a Drive In did return at Coram, it would be the only one on Long Island in operation.
The good news is that the lot was never subdivided from when UA changed it to a Multiplex. So it is very much possible that a Drive-In could exist on this site again.
Whether it is economically feasible is another story.
Poured concrete catwalks??? Wow I sure would love to have a grand tour of the Uptown now! I have a funny feeling that place has MANY suprises.
In terms of size, the general accepted way of determining that is occupancy. I guess it has been that way for years. I too, did contest the fact that the Uptown was larger based on the seating, but then I saw a blueprint of the Uptown’s floor plan. And I have one for Radio City as well. Clearly, the Uptown is much larger physically.
I also have full documentation on the Chicago Paradise as well (of course) and the closest (existing and operating) comparison to that would be the Loews Paradise in the Bronx. But even though the pictures I have of the Chicago Paradise are in B&W, it clearly was a building to die for. It has and always will be my faviorite theatre. But to only imagine what it would have looked like in person. But the Bronx Paradise does give you a taste of that the Chicago one was like.
As you can tell, I have a soft spot for atmospheric theatres :).
Thank you for your insite on the situation with the uptown, I hope you reposted your document under the listing for the Uptown as well as I am sure there are many that would like to know what is going on.
For a long time, I didn’t believe what I was hearing that the Uptown could upscale Radio City, until I saw the pictures for myself. While Radio City is a beautiful theatre, The Uptown clearly trumps it in every way shape or form and it IS physically larger too.
Yes, I had a feeling why the Uptown lasted so long was in regards to it’s construction. I think many a demo crew has realized what had happend to the company that had torn down the famous Paradise Theatre.
But thank goodness that the Uptown is well constructed and I am hoping that it can hang on until something positive will become of the current situation and that the theatre will eventually be restored.
You said the building was constructed with the aim to be the most beautiful and ornate theatre in America. To a certain extent, I think that line still holds true today.
After seeing the inside of the Uptown and seeing how much it does compare to the Granada and Marbro theatre does have me keeping my fingers crossed that this building could be saved.
I have seen what was done with the Bronx Loews Paradise here in NY. It is breath taking. Right now I can only wish the same for the Uptown.
Thanx for the inside on the Chicago Transportation system. I can see it clearer now. I can definately see how the Uptown could benefit from a express travel line with also railway access. In addition something like this could be built into a multi-level parking structure on the North side. Given the size of the Uptown and also improving the economy in the area…this is something the city shouln’t ignore.
I know there are all kinds of obstacles and politics involved. I guess in a way it is the theatre historian in me that is speaking. But overall, the city would stand to benefit from a project like that. The Uptown alone can bring tremendous revenues in that area.
We have lost too many of these beautiful structures already. I can’t see that in this day and age a theatre of the Uptown’s stature would be lost.
It is a shame that NY lost its Roxy theatre and it is still being lamented over. Hopefully Chicago doesn’t make the same mistake…already too many beautiful theatres have been lost in that town.
I did email Stacy…thusfar I didn’t get a response, but it hasn’t been a day yet so that is understandable.
So the building has apartments as well, huh? NOW that is interesting. I need a place to live too.
Did you by any chance poke and prod to find out what the owner wants for the building?
Now in terms of Mt. Joy itself, the way you describe it, it sounds very ‘open’ or should I dare say deserted. Is that the case?
Are there alot of buildings in the downtown area for sale? If so, then that is really not a good sign because without local traffic I would have to rely on outside sources and then I have to take competition into serious consideration. For one, that Hershey theatre you mention poses some nearby competition and I am sure there are theatres in Lancaster as well.
But I see how close you are situated to Strasburg (“Traintown USA”)…I just was recently in Strasburg to partake in the railway attractions there. Thus I do have a few ideas brewing in my head.
From here on in, contact me via email: as what we are discussing has nothing to do with the history of the theatre and doesn’t belong here (and I have other reasons why I don’t want to continue discussions here).
Oh! But one thing that should be posted here…What is the theatre’s name? Is simply called Mt. Joy? Did it ever have a name or was it always named after the town?
As for the seats, well, I know I can always get replacements and in fact I found someone already that is selling a bunch of theatre equipment.
Lastly, are you from the Mt. Joy area? You only mention you are from the Lancaster area. Well, that is a pretty big area.
I myself have been to Lancaster a couple of times, but mostly Strasburg. I love Strasburg. I have a family now and I am taking care of two newborn sons and I would be thrilled if I could relocate close to Strasburg. For one, Mt. Joy/Strasburg is fairly close to NY and for two TRAINS!!!
Whoops! Getting too far off topic here. Anyway, just email me at that address I gave you and we will discuss the theatre further from there.
Thanx for the info. I am hoping that I can get in contact with Stacey soon and get some more information on the theatre and the town too.
Hello Roadshow,
I would need your email address to contact you. The line you mentioned “…it is clear from their pics…” indicates that you do have pictures of the interior of the Oswego. I would like to see them. I wouldn’t doubt it for a second that the Oswego was made more eleborate. Right off the bat it is the larger of the two theatres. More than likely it was probably the first one built in 1941 and they based the Norwalk theatre design on it. Now I do have a couple questions. If the proscenium was brought forward on the main screen, what was put behind it? Did they just make the stage deeper, or did they add dressing rooms, etc. The Norwalk does have a back wall but it lacks doors on the auditorium archway entries…thus they hung blue curtains over the doorways and just pull them back prior and post show. This is really one thing I do not like about the design of Norwalk because it is really impossible to carry on a conversation in the lobby with someone during a show (meaning when you are purchasing candy and such), because voices will ‘leak in’ to the auditorium. Not the best design in that aspect. As for the balcony conversion, it is pretty much how I envisioned it. But I will say that the Oswego must have had a HUGE balcony in order to support a double split like that. I think I would still stick with my idea of restoring the top of balcony but leaving the bottom, or as I mentioned above, use the bottom for another performance space. What is nice to know that there is an empty lot nearby. Parking is always an issue and if a parking field or garage could be made on that lot then that would make a project like this more feasible. As for a full restoration of the theatre…hmmmm, I really don’t think it would work out. Keep in mind you DO have to fill 1800+ seats and that is a difficult proposition for most small town theatres at best. Heck most small town theatres have a hard time filling a space that is half that size. To put things in a better perspective, most theatres in NYC don’t even come near the original occupancy of the Oswego. There are many many more people in NYC. However, as far as expanding the theatre into a full destination complex with a restaurant and a family entertainment center, I am all for that. In fact this exact plan I had for the Beaver Falls Granada Theatre in PA, but that project was too ambitious for me with limited financial means.
All in all, I am going to keep a close eye on the Oswego. If it does come up for sale (and for a reasonable price)…I would be on it. This theatre, the Norwalk (and hopefully others like them), should all be carefully preserved. The marquees are to die for alone. Both the Norwalk and Oswego theatres don’t have fully working marquees. With them fully restored, I am sure they would be a sight to behold.
You just don’t see stuff like this anymore.
JG
Hello Roadshow,
Bummer…I would have loved to see pictures of the interior of the Oswego. As for other sister theatres, I have not researched it fully, but I would believe that if Schine had an expansion around the early 40’s then, yes, I wouldn’t be surprised that all the theatres from that era would have a similar design. The trouble would be finding out which theatres are still intact. Thus far the Oswego has be ‘butchered’ a bit…but it is not terrible. From the outside the theatre looks very restorable. I am happy to see the Oswego retains it’s original marquee. I personally think that the Norwalk and Oswego have one of the more attractive ‘triangle’ style marquees that I have ever seen. So to find two of them practically identical really had me reeling with joy. What more is that I am pretty much going to move north to the New England area so the Oswego will not be too far from where I will move. Yet, if the Oswego ever came up for sale…I probably would be interested in it. I absolutely adored the Norwalk Theatre, and I know that I could probably attain a similar attachment to the Oswego.
Just right now I am DYING to see some interior pictures of the Oswego…especially the main auditorium. I am hoping to see more similarities between this theatre and it’s sister.
Geo
Hello Warren,
WOW, that is a nice picture of the theatre. I always looked at this theatre like something was missing and I was right. The decorative panels over the marquee are missing as well as the crest piece towards the left.
I really hate it when they deface a building like that. NOW this way I like the building’s facade just as much as the Norwalk theatre, because now I can see it’s intended design. What I would do with this building is restore the panels, and put lights behind them, heh heh heh.
Now to only see what the inside used to look like.
This is Art Deco at it’s finest. I can see that it even shares the same arched doorways as it’s sister in Norwalk. It is just this theatre has 6 doors across the entrance and the Norwalk has 8.
What I find interesting is that the entrance and marquee are smaller on the Oswego in comparison to the Norwalk, yet the Oswego is the larger of the two overall. You would figure…bigger theatre, bigger marquee and entry way.
Now the question remains that while the theatres are sisters and built the same year…which one was constructed first?
Thanx for sharing Warren. This piece of information really has piqued my already brewing interest in this theatre.
Geo
Hello all!
I am curious as to if anyone knows how the Bellows Falls Opera House is coming along in terms of live performances. Last year I visited Bellows Falls, but the theatre was still only showing movies. They mentioned they were going to work on the stage areas to handle live shows. That was about a year ago, so I am wondering where they stand now with this project. Regardless I am planning a trip to go back to Bellows Falls in a couple weeks primarily to look for a place to live (yeah I am relocating to Vermont)…so I am probably going to poke my head into the Opera House to see what’s cookin' myself.
Hello guys,
Sorry I almost forgot about the pictures.
If you want the pictures for the Latchis, I will send them to you, but I need your email addresses. I am not going to bother with photo bucket. I have ALOT of pictures and I would have to send them to you via many zipped packages. Also you will need high speed internet connection or you will be up all night downloading.
The pictures are full shot 800 by 600 so they will take up quite a bit of space on a hosting site anyway.
Oh! I do have a You Tube and a Yahoo account, but again I am not sure what Yahoo’s bandwidth restrictions are and I am not even sure that you tube will handle pictures. I only think they do video.
Geo
Peter,
I don’t know if you contacted the company that did that abomination of a conversion. They are still in business as I understand it and I believe they also have drawings of the theatre prior to the conversion. This may help you out in attempting to reconstruct the building.
My idea was to get the original plans as wells as the plans for the way the building is currently set up. Since you would never use the original 1600+ capacity, you could possibly do a partial restore in which much of the audiotorium’s originality could be maintained, but yet you can keep some space for retail rentals for extra income.
I do have to run, but you have my email address. Just contact me and let me explain to you what I saw done over at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, Vermont. What I saw in this theatre, changed my mind about theatre conversions…and I think the concept they adopted there could help you out here. In the end you will have a more versatile structure but yet still tastefully retaining much of it’s guilded past.
Geo
Hello Lost (Peter, you might want to ‘listen in’ on this).
The Krooner’s Lounge is located in the basement of the theatre. As far as I know the basement only extends as far as the original lobby did and stopped when the floor started to slope down. I was never in the club, so I am not 100% sure. I would say that the club would not really interfere with the restoration of the theatre and I personally had full intention of keeping the club where it was. The only issue that did come to mind was loud music from the club interfering with a performance in the main auditorium. More then likely heavy soundproofing techniques would have to be employed and this will add to the renovation costs. In fact I am not even 100% sure if such a total isolation could even be done. So this is a tough call, but a problem that has to be addressed nonetheless. One thing that could work out is if the theatre shows performances in a different time slow from when the club opens. Or the club could even open later (or play the loud music later). Again it is a tough call. I really didn’t want to put the cart before the horse, but it was something I was thinking about and it would have to be addressed. Since my plan was to create a full entertainment complex…having the nightclub within the building was a nice added touch and further, they are a tenant and a source of income. So certainly I would want to keep them where they are.
Peter, if your plan does get underway…this is something that you do have to think about. Probably the best thing to do is go in the theatre one evening when the club has an event going on and just do some sound tests for yourself to see how bad the ‘leakage’ is.
If isolation isn’t cost effective, then other constructive alternatives would have to be employed so the two business' do not interfere with each other.
Geo
Hello Roadshow,
Very nice link on those theatre…however, I don’t see the Oswego in that list on the top. Can you provide a more direct link? I don’t know where to look. Ok, I will contact you, but I do need your email address :).
Hello Roadshow,
It sounds like that they have perhaps did the same with both theatres. I do know that the Norwalk Theatre’s live capabilities were enhanced. They extended the stage and added an orchestra pit. They also changed some of the storage areas in the basement to additional dressing & makeup rooms. They also added an organ too. I found the organ a nice touch because the only other theatre I went to that had an organ/player was Radio City Music Hall. In fact due to the fact that the Norwalk Theatre is 90% all original, the townfolk did refer to the theatre as their “Little Radio City”. Ironically the foot mats in the vestibule are the SAME type used in Radio City’s vestibule.
The stage in the Norwalk was definitely shorter, but with the extension added on by Towne & Country the stage is about 30 feet deep. The fly space is only half height though and thus the battans are designed to roll the backdrops and background scenery. The movie screen also rolls up.
Towne and Country was very “Old School”, and as such, nothing in the theatre was computer controlled. The whole theatre had a very nostalgic touch and it could be one of the reasons why I fell in love with the place.
I guess overall I know that right off the bat I have a ‘closeness’ to the Oswego theatre even though I never seen it (in person) as of yet. I just know I will like it just because of the fact that it is the Norwalk’s sister.
I never seen interior pictures of the Oswego, either now or prior to it’s conversion. I have heard that of the two theatres, the Norwalk was always the ‘prettier’ of the two. However the Oswego is much larger…I looked at the overhead aerial shots of both theatres and the Oswego is huge, more than twice the size.
In terms of multi use, that would pretty much depend on the capacity of the main theatre. For live shows, this space should be about 600+. If that isn’t the case presently, then perhaps the balcony could be opened back up as it was originally. This would still leave 4 theatres that could continue to show movies. If the capacity of the main stage is currently suitable, then the balcony could be converted to another performance space, such as a dance hall. I would think this kind of variety at that location would make the building a very attractive place for entertainment.
Picture this: A family visits the theatre in the afternoon to see a movie. Then when the movie is over they partake in an event in the dancehall upstairs. Finally to cap the night off they see a nice live show in the main theatre. Realistically that will probably not happen like that, but offering the choice of different types of entertainment is what I am getting at…and it is likely that people would do two of the three things.
I have been thinking much about planning like this for old theatres because much goes into saving an old theatre besides just restoring it. There is the business side of the operation to consider as well. You do need people to patronize it. The trouble is that many old theatres like the Oswego (prior to it’s conversion), are just to big by today’s standards and that is how they were divided in the first place. I will be the first one to say that I am against the idea of the dividing a theatre, but I been to one theatre where the conversion was VERY tastefully done and it rearranged my thinking about creating multi-use venues within old theatres. The goal would be to restore the theatre by attempting to capture much of it’s original essence but yet, you have built in flexibility in programming and you have the advantage of more than one event that can be taking place. Bottom line is, more seats get filled. So in a way it is like having your cake and eat it too.
Geo
Hello All,
Just to let you know, this theatre has a sister which was built in the same year and is still operating as a single screen/live venue in Norwalk Ohio. It was also a Schine theatre. The theatre currently runs under it’s marquee name: Norwalk Theatre, but at one time it was also known as the Towne and Country Theatre
Here is the current website: www.norwalktheatre.com
The theatre is listed here at Cinema Treasures. I strongly believe this theatre should also be registered as a landmark. I heard of the Norwalk theatre first and at one point wanted to buy it, but then I was tipped off on the Oswego Theatre and realized that this theatre is without a doubt, the Norwalk Theatre’s sister.
The good news is that that Norwalk Theatre has not been divided and is about 90% all original. It is also ready to handle live shows.
The Oswego Theatre is twice the size of the Norwalk Theatre. I could easily see this theatre being converted to a live venue multi-purpose arts house especially since it’s main stage is still intact.
I know one thing for sure, I missed out on the Norwalk Theatre, but if this one ever came up for sale. I am on it like there is no tomorrow.
Hello,
I live in the Long Island area and I can pretty much say that the animal you are looking for is long extinct here. While at one time there were theatres that large, many have not been divided into multiplexes, have been torn down, or absorbed into retail outlets. The last large theatre that was ‘saved’ here on Long Island was the Patchogue Theatre. At around 1600 seats, this is considered a pretty large theatre for Long Island. Now this is not to say that you are without hope for your congregation, it is just that you are not going to find a dedicated theatre of this size. First question, do you have to buy the place? If not, then I am sure many college auditoriums would be fine. Perhaps you can enter into lease on a large building that could suit your needs. Which brings me to question #2. Do you really need a sloped floor? You could simply set up in an old warehouse and use risers for the seats to improve the view, install a stage and acoustically treat the place. Going this route, you could always easily remove the materials and transport them to a new venue. If you are dead set on purchasing a place I can tell you that on Long Island, you are not going to find something of that size cheap. Because you are a church and more then likely non-profit, you probably will be exempt from property tax so that is a good thing. But either you are going to spend in the millions to find a place that large, or you can find a cheap place that you have to stick plenty of money in to get it fixed up. Either way, you will be looking at alot of money.
Just for the record, I will say there is a closed multi-plex theatre in Coram, right by Rt 112 and RT 25. It is a good corner location. But the building is loaded with mildew and would require much clean up work. Further it is divided into small theatres and I seriously doubt it would be near the occupancy you are looking at (but it is probably close).
Other than that I don’t not know what else would be suitable. You would have much greater options if you rent or lease.
Hope that helps!
Someone would perhaps go into the theatre if it was for sale. But look at the aerial shot above. But think outside the box. Look at how crowded this area is and there is very little parking. There are small parking area here and there. Keep in mind that if this building does seat around 800 people, you should have at least 300 parking spaces available. Granted, maybe a bit less because this area does have access to mass transit (LIRR and buses). Then there is the use to think about. This theatre is way too small to convert to a live performance venue. That is really the only thing that would work out generate a good income. Maybe a non-profit arts movie house may work…but you could never do first runs here. Just in the next town, Valley Stream, you have a few theatres including a large one by the VS Mall. So that would be out of the question. With two screens you probably wouldn’t make enough money anyway. . Running old movies probably will not be enough to get people out of their homes. It is a pretty touchy situation, but perhaps as others pointed out because the building is not for sale, probably the owner is ramming up the rent. Once he gets discouraged enough, he probably will renovate the building to turn it into a retail outlet. CLASSIC Long Island for you.
The sad thing is that Long Island does need big theatres for live shows. Right now the only ones that I ever hear much about is the Patchogue Theatre and also Gateway Playhouse. Occasionally I hear something going on at the Airport Playhouse in Bohemia, but that is a really small place in an industrial area.
Just about all of Long Island’s large single screen houses are gone or have been converted to retail space.
Finally there is the cost of living/and or operating a business here. Taxes are VERY high. One of the highest in the nation. Add insult to injury with rising gas prices and people are just not leaving their homes anymore. So you have to make something affordable and attractive enough to get people to come to your theatre. Yet profitable enough to pay your bills.
I hate to say it, but I don’t foresee anything happening with this theatre anytime soon. If indeed that bank next to it owns the theatre, I am sure they will convert it to something they know they can lease at a high figure once they figure out no one is going to pay their present high rate to run the place as a movie theatre.
Lastly…look at the place. It’s a box. No character at all. It isn’t like it is a classic movie palace with a guilded facade and velvet seats and a gold clad proscenium arch.
Given this building’s size and it’s divided nature, I can almost assure you that the owner will eventually create two retail shops out of this building and then get TWO rents out of it.
I am sorry to say that, but realistically think about it for a while. It would be the easiest AND most profitable thing for the owner to do with an otherwise empty building.
Hello All (rfd)
I DID indicate in my post that even though Flischmann’s is a “…single screen theatre it is more suited for live entertainment”. As for the construction in the area, so far it is just that, rumors. Once I see some serious building going on in the area and some improvements are made to make the town more attractive, then it would be time for a reconsideration. Don’t get me wrong…as I said, I DO like the building itself. Just not the location presently. I guess we will just see what the future has to offer. I personally would love to see the theatre being used again. Unfortunately for me, right now, I do need something I can make money with right away with very little to no renovation costs. So it did rule out Flischmann’s very quickly. As I said above, the building does need work. But when fixed up, it could be a really nice entertainment complex.
Hello Lost,
The theater is closed. It is also no longer offered for sale by itself, but rather as part of a package deal with the town’s largest hotel. I have spoke to the prior owners of the theatre and they did want to see good come of the building, but ran out of money in mid renovations. The building is a very nice theatre and it has apartments and also store fronts. Typically it is everything I ever wanted in a theatre. It does still need work as the roof leaks, but it still is in very restorable shape. So why didn’t I go for it when the theatre was offered for sale by itself? Well, simply put…location, location and location. I didn’t care for the location. The town of Fleishmanns is VERY small and it is also bypassed by a main road. The only thing that is in the area, is one ski resort and traffic could be diverted from that resort into town, but it still is a lot to hinge an entire business on. The ski resort also offers entertainment via an outside tent. Being a single screen theatre, Fleishmann’s would be more suited to live entertainment. In a nutshell, I didn’t want to clash with the live entertainment the resort has going on. Also, thinking of the future, what if that resort went under? There really isnt much else in that area. Thus given it’s set back location and knowing the town itself was too small to sustain the business. I abandoned my interest in this theatre. It is not impossible to run a business out of this theatre, but one would have to be very creative and very strong with advertising and promoting to make this location work. Granted this is just my opinion, but for a first time operation for me, I just didn’t want to take the chance.
Hello Ken, Lost:
I am German, and your rough translation is close. The correct translation is “Meatman” or in American terms, a butcher. German words are often set up as compound words for a single meaning. For one, the drink Jaegarmeister is a compound word that loosely translated means “Master of Deer” or simplfied in America, Master Hunter. Another familiar term, Bergermeister loosely translates to “Master of Town” or here in America, A Mayor.
I could go on and on, but this is Cinema Treasures, not German 101.
But hope that helps.
Geo
Hello 1-NJ,
There is a drive-in located in Bath upstate NY (yeah that is the name of the town). If you don’t mind the commute and want something to do with your summers, then I would check it out. Also PA usually has some theatres that are for sale, but again, you probably will have to make a trip out there. I think there are one or two available on PA’s North/West side.
I can pretty much say that if you are looking at this as a labor of love venture and a way to put some of your extra income to good use, then this is a very fun opportunity. However, you will not be making alot of money with it. When it comes to movies, unless you have a large multiplex where you can make a lot of money on concessions, sad to say it, but there will not be much money in movies. Like I said, it would be more of a labor of love thing.
Hope the info helps.
\
Hello Chuck
LOVE 96.1 RCN??? Am I missing something here? Last I remember WRCN was a rock station.
The Coram Drive-In was perhaps a good piece of Long Island movie history, but to be honest with you UA has always had a knack for building showbox sized theatres and I am sure that place was no different than any other UA theatre. I never liked UA theatres…black bland boxes. So there is really nothing of historical value attached to that building. So personally I don’t mind if they bulldoze the place. (And according to JBock above, they may just have to do that). As I said above, I would rather see a Drive In return to that spot.
Overall it is very tough to find buildings to get attached to nowadays. In terms of modern theatres, I like the Stonybrook Loews. They at least tried to follow an Art Deco theme with that building. I think the last building I was attached to was the Babylon Theatre. It was the biggest theatre I went to when I was a child and the only one in the are with a balcony. But that theatre fell victim to UA’s theatre dividing in the 80’s. That too is another reason UA theatres leave a foul taste in my mouth.
Now if you really want to see a beautiful Long Island theatre, check out the Patchogue Theatre. It is a fairly new restoration and they pretty much use the building for performing arts rather than movies. But in terms of what a real theatre is like, one could get quickly attached to this place.
Geo
Hello Robert
I am sure they do. Or they could even have one of those new digital models. The place is huge, so they obviously have something with POWER.
Geo
Hello JBock,
Wow! That sure is a nice chunk of info. I have heard about the vandalism of the property, but I have not heard about the mold issue. It must be very very damp in that building for mold to develop like that. I could be too that if they have a damp or wet basement, that may trigger it as well. If I am not mistaken, I think there is a small lake nearby the building.
I don’t imagine a multiplex like that having a basement, but I could be wrong.
True, if it wasn’t for the nearby fast food places, I think a drive-in could still work there. I do miss the Long Island drive-ins and it would be nice to see something like that return.
One nice thing they do have on the Island is movie night at the Brookhaven Amphitheater. The only thing is they never have first runs, but it is as close as you can get to a Drive-In. Just hope for good weather though.
Geo
Hello Chuck D,
Believe it or not…there has been some areas where drive-ins have made a come back. Upstate NY is one area where they have been reopening old drive-ins. In some states such as Texas, they not only have been re-opening old drive-ins, but they have even built new ones.
Ohio and Pennsylvania also have seen some resurgences in drive-in reopenings too.
But there is a pattern though. Most of these areas the land values have not skyrocketed as they have here on Long Island…but it does make one wonder. Long Island has over 5 million people on it and yet, no drive-in theatre exists anymore here.
For the person who ventures into this territory here, it could be a big thing.
What more is that I have the spot already picked out! The UA theatre is sitting right on the corner of Rt 25 (Middle Country Rd) and Rt 112. It is surrounded by trees too. And there WAS once a drive in here :).
Geo
Hello Chuck D,
Do you want to have a big laugh? You are very much correct in that that newer Cinema Deluxe Island 16 that opened up just two exits further up on the expressway from The Brookhaven Multiplex/AKA Medford Multiplex was the nail in the coffin for that cinema. The reason being was that the Medford Multiplex didn’t have stadium seating or the other amenities offered by the Island 16.
What most people DON’T know is that both theatres are/were both owned by National Amusements.
Yes, that is right. National Amusements put their own theatre out of business. To say that this is stupidity on the company’s part and you would normally be correct, however, at around the time the Island 16 was built, there was surgence in movie goers and the big wig movie companies fell into a false sense of security and began to overbuild. My wife worked for Loews and they made the same mistake in overbuilding as National Amusements did. So when the surgence subsided, many took to the new theatres and the older ones were left empty.
Naturally, National Amusements made a wise decision to quickly close and demolish the Medford Multiplex to avoid the competition from possibly taking it over.
The UA theatre at Coram is still standing. Normally this isn’t a bright move on UA’s part. But the theatre was falling into disrepair even long before it closed. The building would need a major overhaul now.
Personally I think justice should be served and the UA building should be demolished and the lot returned to a Drive-In once again.
If a Drive In did return at Coram, it would be the only one on Long Island in operation.
The good news is that the lot was never subdivided from when UA changed it to a Multiplex. So it is very much possible that a Drive-In could exist on this site again.
Whether it is economically feasible is another story.
Geo
Hello Bob,
Poured concrete catwalks??? Wow I sure would love to have a grand tour of the Uptown now! I have a funny feeling that place has MANY suprises.
In terms of size, the general accepted way of determining that is occupancy. I guess it has been that way for years. I too, did contest the fact that the Uptown was larger based on the seating, but then I saw a blueprint of the Uptown’s floor plan. And I have one for Radio City as well. Clearly, the Uptown is much larger physically.
I also have full documentation on the Chicago Paradise as well (of course) and the closest (existing and operating) comparison to that would be the Loews Paradise in the Bronx. But even though the pictures I have of the Chicago Paradise are in B&W, it clearly was a building to die for. It has and always will be my faviorite theatre. But to only imagine what it would have looked like in person. But the Bronx Paradise does give you a taste of that the Chicago one was like.
As you can tell, I have a soft spot for atmospheric theatres :).
Geo
Hello Bob,
Thank you for your insite on the situation with the uptown, I hope you reposted your document under the listing for the Uptown as well as I am sure there are many that would like to know what is going on.
For a long time, I didn’t believe what I was hearing that the Uptown could upscale Radio City, until I saw the pictures for myself. While Radio City is a beautiful theatre, The Uptown clearly trumps it in every way shape or form and it IS physically larger too.
Yes, I had a feeling why the Uptown lasted so long was in regards to it’s construction. I think many a demo crew has realized what had happend to the company that had torn down the famous Paradise Theatre.
But thank goodness that the Uptown is well constructed and I am hoping that it can hang on until something positive will become of the current situation and that the theatre will eventually be restored.
You said the building was constructed with the aim to be the most beautiful and ornate theatre in America. To a certain extent, I think that line still holds true today.
After seeing the inside of the Uptown and seeing how much it does compare to the Granada and Marbro theatre does have me keeping my fingers crossed that this building could be saved.
I have seen what was done with the Bronx Loews Paradise here in NY. It is breath taking. Right now I can only wish the same for the Uptown.
Geo
Hello PAUL,
Thanx for the inside on the Chicago Transportation system. I can see it clearer now. I can definately see how the Uptown could benefit from a express travel line with also railway access. In addition something like this could be built into a multi-level parking structure on the North side. Given the size of the Uptown and also improving the economy in the area…this is something the city shouln’t ignore.
I know there are all kinds of obstacles and politics involved. I guess in a way it is the theatre historian in me that is speaking. But overall, the city would stand to benefit from a project like that. The Uptown alone can bring tremendous revenues in that area.
We have lost too many of these beautiful structures already. I can’t see that in this day and age a theatre of the Uptown’s stature would be lost.
It is a shame that NY lost its Roxy theatre and it is still being lamented over. Hopefully Chicago doesn’t make the same mistake…already too many beautiful theatres have been lost in that town.
Geo
Hello Dennis,
I did email Stacy…thusfar I didn’t get a response, but it hasn’t been a day yet so that is understandable.
So the building has apartments as well, huh? NOW that is interesting. I need a place to live too.
Did you by any chance poke and prod to find out what the owner wants for the building?
Now in terms of Mt. Joy itself, the way you describe it, it sounds very ‘open’ or should I dare say deserted. Is that the case?
Are there alot of buildings in the downtown area for sale? If so, then that is really not a good sign because without local traffic I would have to rely on outside sources and then I have to take competition into serious consideration. For one, that Hershey theatre you mention poses some nearby competition and I am sure there are theatres in Lancaster as well.
But I see how close you are situated to Strasburg (“Traintown USA”)…I just was recently in Strasburg to partake in the railway attractions there. Thus I do have a few ideas brewing in my head.
From here on in, contact me via email: as what we are discussing has nothing to do with the history of the theatre and doesn’t belong here (and I have other reasons why I don’t want to continue discussions here).
Oh! But one thing that should be posted here…What is the theatre’s name? Is simply called Mt. Joy? Did it ever have a name or was it always named after the town?
As for the seats, well, I know I can always get replacements and in fact I found someone already that is selling a bunch of theatre equipment.
Lastly, are you from the Mt. Joy area? You only mention you are from the Lancaster area. Well, that is a pretty big area.
I myself have been to Lancaster a couple of times, but mostly Strasburg. I love Strasburg. I have a family now and I am taking care of two newborn sons and I would be thrilled if I could relocate close to Strasburg. For one, Mt. Joy/Strasburg is fairly close to NY and for two TRAINS!!!
Whoops! Getting too far off topic here. Anyway, just email me at that address I gave you and we will discuss the theatre further from there.
Thanx for the info. I am hoping that I can get in contact with Stacey soon and get some more information on the theatre and the town too.
Geo