The “Main Street” address now just sounds wrong. Maybe it was correct in 1897, but certainly not in 1941. But thanks for bringing this place to our attention; I had no idea that it had once shown movies.
This 1916 map clearly shows the YMCA, but not the theatre. The YMCA is on the south side of Massachusetts Avenue, opposite Bigelow Street. I don’t know when Main Street was renamed to Mass. Ave., but it was before 1916. Probably it happened when the ‘Harvard Bridge’ was built across the Charles River.
There is a Durrell Hall theatre at the Cambridge YMCA, 820 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square. It opened in 1897 and was restored in 2002, renamed the Cambridge Family YMCA Theatre.
Long ago, this part of Massachusetts Avenue was called Main Street.
If this is the same theatre, then the status should be “Open” and the function should be “Live Theatre”. Seating has been reduced to 280.
The Grand Museum and Grand Opera House are both on this 1895 map, on the east side of Washington Street just south of Dover Street.
The corresponding 1928 map no longer shows a theatre at the Grand Museum site, but still shows the Grand Opera House a few buildings to the south.
If anyone can definitively demonstrate that either of these theatres ever showed movies, I’ll be happy to add them to CinemaTreasures. (Ditto for the Castle Square/Arlington, Hollis Street, Colonial, Wilbur, and Shubert.)
Something I didn’t know: “General Cinemas would test new seats, snacks and interior decorations at the location before making decisions for the rest of the chain.”
And something that surprises me: “The other problem was the building’s footprint. Hemmed in by railroad tracks and the rest of the Mall, it was impossible to expand without losing parking spaces.”
That parking lot is rarely more than about 1/5 full. They could easily have expanded the theatre outward instead of upward, and made the walking environment more pleasant at the same time.
It may be a “bland exterior” but isn’t it also the first thing you see when entering Westwood Village from the south? That sign is a local landmark and would be missed by everyone.
Today’s Boston Herald has an article about Dave Waller, who collects large signs that belonged to now-defunct Boston businesses. From the story:
“Waller’s newest addition is a 10-foot-tall, pre-1900 wooden marquee sign from the former Howard Antheneum. The Old Howard, as it was known, opened in 1845 in Scollay Square and later became infamous as a burlesque house. “I’ve always been fascinated with signs from Boston neighborhoods, and Scollay Square is really the Holy Grail, because (the district) was torn down before I was born,†said Waller, who bought the sign from a fellow New Hampshire aficionado who had it stored away.Waller was tipped off to the man by a Herald reader of a recent story about a 1950s- to 1960s-era neon Dunkin’ Donuts sign, which Waller also purchased. ”
The story includes a picture of him holding the Old Howard sign. He’s standing in front another sign he owns, from the Exeter Street Theatre.
I doubt it, since the ‘Lafayette Theatre’ shown on this map is quite a large structure, taking up half of a city block.
Also shown on the same 1928 map is the ‘Arlington Theatre’, at the corner of Arlington, Chandler, and Tremont streets. It was previously called the Castle Square Theatre. I have not added it to CinemaTreasures because I don’t know if it ever showed movies. The Boston Athenaeum says it was razed in 1932.
This 1916 map shows the Olympia Theatre. It is near the map’s top left corner, colored brown, in the narrow triangle bounded by Western Avenue, River Street, and Franklin Street.
By the 1970s, this site contained a gas station. Some time in the 1990s, the gas station was torn down and replaced by the current not-very-useful open green space.
And now a question, for Ron Salters or anyone else:
This 1928 map shows a large building labelled ‘Lafayette Theatre’, on the east side of Tremont Street just south of Broadway, two blocks from the Wang (Metropolitan) Theatre. It is near the top left corner of the map.
I’ve never heard of this theatre, and have found no references to it in various histories of movie or stage theatres in Boston. Any information on it would be appreciated.
This 1916 map shows an ‘OLYMPIA THEATRE’ in the narrow triangle bounded by Western Avenue, River Street, and Franklin Street. I don’t know anything more about this theatre, such as whether it ever showed movies.
When I arrived in Cambridge in 1975, this site contained a gas station. I think the gas station was demolished some time in the 1990s, and replaced by the current not-very-useful green space.
It opened in 1919 and was located at 571-575 Massachusetts Avenue. It was also called Gordon’s Central Square Theatre.
From the article:
“Gordon’s Central Square Theater, at one time one of three theaters in Central Square, took three years to construct. Designed as a vaudeville house, it contained a stage, an orchestra pit, an organ, dressing rooms, and a flytower for scenery, as well as a movie screen. The theater ran back to Bishop Allen
Drive and Norfolk Street, and was a major Central Square landmark until about 1960 when it was taken down to build the present public parking lot.
“The building that now houses Libby’s Liquors and the Shalimar Indian market
originally contained the theater lobby. The introduction of a marquee in 1927 and later storefront alterations obscured the entire facade below the second floor window sills. With assistance from the Historical Commission under a grant from the Community Development Department to upgrade storefronts on Massachusetts Avenue, a portion of the original facade was restored.”
This mural, on the S&S Restaurant’s side wall, has a “grand arch shape modeled after the entrance to the Inman Square Theater, which once stood next door.”
Brattle Hall is shown on this 1916 map. It is near the top right corner of the map, the rightmost building on the south side of Brattle Street.
Both it and the Brattle House next door are shown as owned by the “Camb. Social Union”. It appears that the buildings were connected at that time; they no longer are. The Brattle House now belongs to the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.
This 1916 map shows a building in this location labelled “Inman Square Amusement Co.” I assume this is the theatre. It is in red, near the left side of the map, on the south side of Cambridge Street, a block east of Inman Square.
I’ve sent in a Correction; hopefully one of the site owners will get to it shortly.
The article says that one part of the 2002 restoration was to “tear out the balcony projection booth”. So it probably won’t ever show movies again.
Here is another photo of the YMCA building. Does it look similar to the 1941 photo in the MGM report?
The “Main Street” address now just sounds wrong. Maybe it was correct in 1897, but certainly not in 1941. But thanks for bringing this place to our attention; I had no idea that it had once shown movies.
This 1916 map clearly shows the YMCA, but not the theatre. The YMCA is on the south side of Massachusetts Avenue, opposite Bigelow Street. I don’t know when Main Street was renamed to Mass. Ave., but it was before 1916. Probably it happened when the ‘Harvard Bridge’ was built across the Charles River.
There is a Durrell Hall theatre at the Cambridge YMCA, 820 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square. It opened in 1897 and was restored in 2002, renamed the Cambridge Family YMCA Theatre.
Long ago, this part of Massachusetts Avenue was called Main Street.
If this is the same theatre, then the status should be “Open” and the function should be “Live Theatre”. Seating has been reduced to 280.
“Opened in 1969” doesn’t sound right to me. See the 1966 annual report that I quoted above.
It’s better to post in English. Most people here don’t understand Chinese.
David, can you approach SoundBites with the idea of putting up Ball Square Theatre memorabilia in their new space?
The Grand Museum and Grand Opera House are both on this 1895 map, on the east side of Washington Street just south of Dover Street.
The corresponding 1928 map no longer shows a theatre at the Grand Museum site, but still shows the Grand Opera House a few buildings to the south.
If anyone can definitively demonstrate that either of these theatres ever showed movies, I’ll be happy to add them to CinemaTreasures. (Ditto for the Castle Square/Arlington, Hollis Street, Colonial, Wilbur, and Shubert.)
North Cambridge’s newspaper The Alewife has a long article about this theatre, its history, and Bill Hanney’s plans to return it to its former glory:
Fresh Pond Mall Cinema redux; Prior owner, waterfall return
Something I didn’t know: “General Cinemas would test new seats, snacks and interior decorations at the location before making decisions for the rest of the chain.”
And something that surprises me: “The other problem was the building’s footprint. Hemmed in by railroad tracks and the rest of the Mall, it was impossible to expand without losing parking spaces.”
That parking lot is rarely more than about 1/5 full. They could easily have expanded the theatre outward instead of upward, and made the walking environment more pleasant at the same time.
It may be a “bland exterior” but isn’t it also the first thing you see when entering Westwood Village from the south? That sign is a local landmark and would be missed by everyone.
Here’s the page for the Central Theatre. It was built kitty-corner from the Highland, and put it out of business.
What and where was the Hub? Was it only a live stage or did it also show movies?
You should get in touch with David Kruh, who has an extensive website about Boston’s Scollay Square, and has written two books on the subject.
Today’s Boston Herald has an article about Dave Waller, who collects large signs that belonged to now-defunct Boston businesses.
The story includes a picture of him standing in front of the Exeter Street Theatre’s sign, and holding another sign from the Old Howard Athenaeum.
Today’s Boston Herald has an article about Dave Waller, who collects large signs that belonged to now-defunct Boston businesses. From the story:
“Waller’s newest addition is a 10-foot-tall, pre-1900 wooden marquee sign from the former Howard Antheneum. The Old Howard, as it was known, opened in 1845 in Scollay Square and later became infamous as a burlesque house. “I’ve always been fascinated with signs from Boston neighborhoods, and Scollay Square is really the Holy Grail, because (the district) was torn down before I was born,†said Waller, who bought the sign from a fellow New Hampshire aficionado who had it stored away.Waller was tipped off to the man by a Herald reader of a recent story about a 1950s- to 1960s-era neon Dunkin’ Donuts sign, which Waller also purchased. ”
The story includes a picture of him holding the Old Howard sign. He’s standing in front another sign he owns, from the Exeter Street Theatre.
I doubt it, since the ‘Lafayette Theatre’ shown on this map is quite a large structure, taking up half of a city block.
Also shown on the same 1928 map is the ‘Arlington Theatre’, at the corner of Arlington, Chandler, and Tremont streets. It was previously called the Castle Square Theatre. I have not added it to CinemaTreasures because I don’t know if it ever showed movies. The Boston Athenaeum says it was razed in 1932.
This 1916 map shows the Olympia Theatre. It is near the map’s top left corner, colored brown, in the narrow triangle bounded by Western Avenue, River Street, and Franklin Street.
By the 1970s, this site contained a gas station. Some time in the 1990s, the gas station was torn down and replaced by the current not-very-useful open green space.
Thanks. Can you add a page for it at CinemaTreasures, based on the information you have in that book?
And now a question, for Ron Salters or anyone else:
This 1928 map shows a large building labelled ‘Lafayette Theatre’, on the east side of Tremont Street just south of Broadway, two blocks from the Wang (Metropolitan) Theatre. It is near the top left corner of the map.
I’ve never heard of this theatre, and have found no references to it in various histories of movie or stage theatres in Boston. Any information on it would be appreciated.
For much more on this theatre, including many photos, see
http://www.losttheatres.org/theaters.htm
This 1916 map shows an ‘OLYMPIA THEATRE’ in the narrow triangle bounded by Western Avenue, River Street, and Franklin Street. I don’t know anything more about this theatre, such as whether it ever showed movies.
When I arrived in Cambridge in 1975, this site contained a gas station. I think the gas station was demolished some time in the 1990s, and replaced by the current not-very-useful green space.
Page 6 of this Area 4 neighborhood newsletter has an article about this theatre, including pictures of the exterior and interior.
It opened in 1919 and was located at 571-575 Massachusetts Avenue. It was also called Gordon’s Central Square Theatre.
From the article:
“Gordon’s Central Square Theater, at one time one of three theaters in Central Square, took three years to construct. Designed as a vaudeville house, it contained a stage, an orchestra pit, an organ, dressing rooms, and a flytower for scenery, as well as a movie screen. The theater ran back to Bishop Allen
Drive and Norfolk Street, and was a major Central Square landmark until about 1960 when it was taken down to build the present public parking lot.
“The building that now houses Libby’s Liquors and the Shalimar Indian market
originally contained the theater lobby. The introduction of a marquee in 1927 and later storefront alterations obscured the entire facade below the second floor window sills. With assistance from the Historical Commission under a grant from the Community Development Department to upgrade storefronts on Massachusetts Avenue, a portion of the original facade was restored.”
This mural, on the S&S Restaurant’s side wall, has a “grand arch shape modeled after the entrance to the Inman Square Theater, which once stood next door.”
Brattle Hall is shown on this 1916 map. It is near the top right corner of the map, the rightmost building on the south side of Brattle Street.
Both it and the Brattle House next door are shown as owned by the “Camb. Social Union”. It appears that the buildings were connected at that time; they no longer are. The Brattle House now belongs to the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.
This 1916 map shows a building in this location labelled “Inman Square Amusement Co.” I assume this is the theatre. It is in red, near the left side of the map, on the south side of Cambridge Street, a block east of Inman Square.