This was almost certainly closed by 1909. There are three theaters on the 1909 map, and we’ve accounted for all of them (Princess/New Lyric/Wonderland).
I’m not sure why part of my submission got changed, but there were two theaters across the street, the Princess and the Wonderland. The bit about the seats is confusing, and wasn’t in my original submission. I know the Wonderland was listed as 250, as was the Bijou (wherever that was), but I didn’t have any information about the Princess until dmt supplied what he knew. Either way, it’s not relevant to this theater.
Thanks! We’ll have to update this listing. Once Ken gets my other submissions done, we’ll have the Wonderland as well. If you have an address for the Bijou, that will need a listing created.
I think there was a bit of an over-correction here. This was a furniture store in 1909. I have no reason to doubt the original 1913 date, and the owner’s name (J.W. Myrtle) didn’t need to be removed. Since Myrtle owned the Wonderland on Augusta St in 1908, it’s likely he moved here after closing that one, since the Wonderland was definitely gone by 1914.
The address should be changed to 119 E Beverly. The name of the street was changed from Beverly to Main around 1904, and was changed back sometime after 1921. It was Beverly again by 1982, when the NRHP did their survey of downtown.
The building was constructed in 1895 as an Odd Fellows lodge, with the first floor used as retail. The 1909 map shows a furniture store there. This theater is still open on the 1921 map. The building has suffered a disgusting cheap ‘Tudor’ remodel. The storefront was the home of a local arts organization, but may be vacant.
For some reason, all the maps show the building as three stories, but it is now four. It appears the building was altered considerably during the mid-century remodel, and what was probably a tall third floor was split.
Might as well list this as demolished. The shape of the building is completely different. Maybe some of the side wall still exists with windows knocked into it?
I’m not sure where this would have been. It doesn’t appear on either the 1918 or 1925 maps. The only businesses on Buchannon St (which Google incorrectly calls an avenue, and which the old maps render as ‘Buchanan’) were the still extant garage at the corner with Mt. Morris (then known as Washington), and some small stores across the street. It does appear from the satellite view that there are two buildings on the north side west of Cherry Alley which are large enough to have held a very small theater, but without a streetview, it’s very unclear what they are. One of them appears to be one of the old wooden stores, the other looks larger and ‘newer’.
I don’t think this is demolished. There’s a park where the McCrory’s was, but the Academy was on the end of a large building that is now part of the University of MD system. Count the windows, and you’ll see it’s still there.
This theater was built in 1940 by William Dalke. As Ken noted, the Dalke family owned several other theaters in the county. The additional auditoriums were added in the ‘70s or '80s. Although most of the Dalke chain fell victim to TV and larger theaters in nearby cities, this theater apparently never closed, and was sold in 2008 to the Garman family. The current marquee appears to be the remains of the original, which had a tall blade on top.
According to the NRHP listing for downtown, this was built in 1929, although they agree that it didn’t open until 1934. Builders were Roth Enterprises. The 1924 map shows a 2-story brick building with an identical footprint as the current building, but used as a dealership. The building is in good shape today, and has been a restaurant for at least the past 14 years. Not sure why the photo is not displayed.
Address was 406 S Queen. This theater was definitely open by 1925, in the Hotel Williams. This part of the block is not shown on the 1914 map. What may be the theater is visible on streetview up to 2009, but this entire block has been turned into a park.
This theater was definitely already open in 1925, but the building doesn’t appear on the 1914 map. It may have been built as an investment by a fraternal order, since the third floor was a lodge hall, above offices on the second.
102 was never a theater. That pent tile roof was popular until the ‘20s at least, and there are two buildings on E Gordon St with the same feature. 102 was under construction in 1901, and is shown as a store through 1925.
This building was built around 1910, and was originally a hardware store. The 1988 NRHP listing says it was open from the ‘40s to the '60s. Around 1970, it got a trashy metal facade, but this was was removed around 2009.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Jan 2, 2023 at 8:31 am
Sunset is an avenue, not a street. I don’t think it’s really necessary to add in the long form on my entries. At least in American English, if I say ‘Corner of 6th and Main’, everyone knows exactly what that means.
This theater was in a wooden Odd Fellows hall, belonging to the black lodge. The 1907 map does not show this part of the block, but the building, a simple structure, appears on the 1912 map. By 1917, it is noted as showing movies. The corner is a vacant lot on the 1956 map, and the gas station looks like it must have been built shortly thereafter.
Building originally ended about where the front of the stage is. The original balcony was much closer to the front of the building, and more of a ‘U’ shape.
Can anyone explain the Montgomery Ward ornamentation? It does look vaguely like the style of building Ward’s was putting up around the early 20s, but it is pretty small. It’s also an odd location for them to build the store, since I assume they would have avoided a black neighborhood in preference for a downtown location on Main.
Since the old picture is missing, I uploaded one I took years ago, while remodeling was nearly complete. All I’m willing to say is that it’s a picture of the theater at 150 E Thomas. Pretty sure it’s the Manhattan, but it might be the Ritz, or maybe they really were the same thing?
This was almost certainly closed by 1909. There are three theaters on the 1909 map, and we’ve accounted for all of them (Princess/New Lyric/Wonderland).
Thanks! We should rewrite the listing so some of your information is up top. Lots of names in a short time for a small theater!
This building was constructed sometime between 1914 and 1921 as a dealership.
I’m not sure why part of my submission got changed, but there were two theaters across the street, the Princess and the Wonderland. The bit about the seats is confusing, and wasn’t in my original submission. I know the Wonderland was listed as 250, as was the Bijou (wherever that was), but I didn’t have any information about the Princess until dmt supplied what he knew. Either way, it’s not relevant to this theater.
Thanks! We’ll have to update this listing. Once Ken gets my other submissions done, we’ll have the Wonderland as well. If you have an address for the Bijou, that will need a listing created.
According to information from dallasmovietheaters, this can’t have been the Wonderland. It was either the Bijou, or the New Lyric.
I think there was a bit of an over-correction here. This was a furniture store in 1909. I have no reason to doubt the original 1913 date, and the owner’s name (J.W. Myrtle) didn’t need to be removed. Since Myrtle owned the Wonderland on Augusta St in 1908, it’s likely he moved here after closing that one, since the Wonderland was definitely gone by 1914.
Description is misleading.
This was not the first theater in Staunton, there are at least three on the 1909 Sanborn.
It was not built by Mr. Myrtle, as the building was at least 14 years old when the theater opened.
The original architect was T.J. Collins, but he likely had nothing to do with the later conversion of the ground floor to a theater.
The address should be changed to 119 E Beverly. The name of the street was changed from Beverly to Main around 1904, and was changed back sometime after 1921. It was Beverly again by 1982, when the NRHP did their survey of downtown.
The building was constructed in 1895 as an Odd Fellows lodge, with the first floor used as retail. The 1909 map shows a furniture store there. This theater is still open on the 1921 map. The building has suffered a disgusting cheap ‘Tudor’ remodel. The storefront was the home of a local arts organization, but may be vacant.
For some reason, all the maps show the building as three stories, but it is now four. It appears the building was altered considerably during the mid-century remodel, and what was probably a tall third floor was split.
Might as well list this as demolished. The shape of the building is completely different. Maybe some of the side wall still exists with windows knocked into it?
I’m not sure where this would have been. It doesn’t appear on either the 1918 or 1925 maps. The only businesses on Buchannon St (which Google incorrectly calls an avenue, and which the old maps render as ‘Buchanan’) were the still extant garage at the corner with Mt. Morris (then known as Washington), and some small stores across the street. It does appear from the satellite view that there are two buildings on the north side west of Cherry Alley which are large enough to have held a very small theater, but without a streetview, it’s very unclear what they are. One of them appears to be one of the old wooden stores, the other looks larger and ‘newer’.
I don’t think this is demolished. There’s a park where the McCrory’s was, but the Academy was on the end of a large building that is now part of the University of MD system. Count the windows, and you’ll see it’s still there.
This theater was built in 1940 by William Dalke. As Ken noted, the Dalke family owned several other theaters in the county. The additional auditoriums were added in the ‘70s or '80s. Although most of the Dalke chain fell victim to TV and larger theaters in nearby cities, this theater apparently never closed, and was sold in 2008 to the Garman family. The current marquee appears to be the remains of the original, which had a tall blade on top.
Demolished. Site is now an addition to the library, dating from 2000. One of the photos should be displayed.
According to the NRHP listing for downtown, this was built in 1929, although they agree that it didn’t open until 1934. Builders were Roth Enterprises. The 1924 map shows a 2-story brick building with an identical footprint as the current building, but used as a dealership. The building is in good shape today, and has been a restaurant for at least the past 14 years. Not sure why the photo is not displayed.
Address was 406 S Queen. This theater was definitely open by 1925, in the Hotel Williams. This part of the block is not shown on the 1914 map. What may be the theater is visible on streetview up to 2009, but this entire block has been turned into a park.
This theater was definitely already open in 1925, but the building doesn’t appear on the 1914 map. It may have been built as an investment by a fraternal order, since the third floor was a lodge hall, above offices on the second.
102 was never a theater. That pent tile roof was popular until the ‘20s at least, and there are two buildings on E Gordon St with the same feature. 102 was under construction in 1901, and is shown as a store through 1925.
Three copies of the same photo, none of which can possibly be a theater destroyed in 1921, as all the vehicles are from the mid-‘20s to late '30s.
This building was built around 1910, and was originally a hardware store. The 1988 NRHP listing says it was open from the ‘40s to the '60s. Around 1970, it got a trashy metal facade, but this was was removed around 2009.
Sunset is an avenue, not a street. I don’t think it’s really necessary to add in the long form on my entries. At least in American English, if I say ‘Corner of 6th and Main’, everyone knows exactly what that means.
This theater was in a wooden Odd Fellows hall, belonging to the black lodge. The 1907 map does not show this part of the block, but the building, a simple structure, appears on the 1912 map. By 1917, it is noted as showing movies. The corner is a vacant lot on the 1956 map, and the gas station looks like it must have been built shortly thereafter.
Building originally ended about where the front of the stage is. The original balcony was much closer to the front of the building, and more of a ‘U’ shape.
In the third paragraph, you’ve added an apostrophe to Masons, which is incorrect.
Can anyone explain the Montgomery Ward ornamentation? It does look vaguely like the style of building Ward’s was putting up around the early 20s, but it is pretty small. It’s also an odd location for them to build the store, since I assume they would have avoided a black neighborhood in preference for a downtown location on Main.
Since the old picture is missing, I uploaded one I took years ago, while remodeling was nearly complete. All I’m willing to say is that it’s a picture of the theater at 150 E Thomas. Pretty sure it’s the Manhattan, but it might be the Ritz, or maybe they really were the same thing?