Paramount Center
549-59 Washington Street,
Boston,
MA
02111
549-59 Washington Street,
Boston,
MA
02111
18 people
favorited this theater
Showing 126 - 150 of 266 comments
That facade is a local landmark and was very much worth restoring, even if the interior is not. When lit at night, it is spectacular.
It appears from the photos that the interior has been completely gutted. That being the case they should have just flattened the whole thing – what’s the point of having the restored 1932 facade fronting a new interior? The 1932 interior was the best part of the building, the facade was just gravy. I thought the City of Boston brought in Emerson with the idea that they would restore most of it. If the city wasn’t concerned with restoration of the interior any Joe Schmoe could have come along years ago and made a 99 cent store out of it.
And what really fascinates me in some of the photos is the Paramount logo on the concrete facade as I’ve never seen that before on or in a theatre with the Paramount connection!?!
Ron: Your March 27, 2008 photos are fascinating to view, but I thought I was perhaps looking at the “big dig” in some of them!?!
After searching the many posts there seems to be many photo links that can’t be accessed and it would be wonderful to see these “behind the facade” photos……… at different stages of “restoration”. I just can’t believe that a facade would be restored to such extent and let the back of the theatre go! What exactly are Emerson College’s plans for this part of the theatre that is gone!?!
How did Emerson College get involved with this Paramount project? And more importantly, how and why was the facade saved and the back destroyed? I would have thought the whole thing would have come down in that narrow space 2 doors down from the Opera House!?! Or the entire theatre would have been restored!?!
The June 3 2004 post shows how the facade looked before restoration, but are there any photos of earlier “behind the facade” photos on this link? If not, perhaps someone could provide them?
This is all very interesting to read in regards to what is going on behind that restored marquee facade. I don’t recall a theatre having a restored facade and the rest gone to “rack and ruin”!
“I had some hope after those relatively recent interior photos were posted a while back showing that some of the original interior had survived.” What photos are these? Are they some that were posted before the post recent one? Can those be found on this link in an earlier dated post(s)?
Thanks for the clarification. There seem to have been a uncommon number of conflicting reports on what is going on here.
I had some hope after those relatively recent interior photos were posted a while back showing that some of the original interior had survived. Also after speaking to some of the members of the Theatre Historical Society who toured Boston theatres several years ago and were told that the interior was going to be restored.
If the motivation (and money) had been there, I suspect that at least some of the orignal design could have been retained. I realize that Emerson needed a different type of space but a more creative design solution that respected one of the city’s few Art Deco interiors could have been found.
Ron,
The Paramount did have a stage, though it was a very shallow one, but enough for a small orchestra or variety act. It also had an organ when built. The organ grille was the most notable part on the interior that remained… it kind of fanned out above the proscenium.
I would say that the interior was not hopelessly ruined, though it was very rough some semblance of its original decor could have been easily reconstructed, but it wouldn’t have served Emerson’s needs to be restored to its original state. Who knows? Maybe they will recreate some parts, but whatever was there a couple of years ago is completely gone now.
My impression is that the interior had been hopelessly ruined by decades of neglect and an earlier botched attempt at asbestos removal.
Was there really a organ grille? This theatre was built for talkies and had no stage.
That is EXACTLY what they are doing. It would appear that all remaining interior decor has been completely destroyed. It is possible they might have saved a few fixtures (and perhaps the organ grille over the proscenium) for reinstallation in whatever they create within the walls, but it would appear that the old Paramount interior is completely gone. I hope they managed to save some of the staircases and wood paneling in the lobbies but I can’t tell from those photos.
Looks like the interior has been gutted. Do we know if the renderings in Ron Newman’s link are for the Paramount’s auditorium space or for the adjoining building? There seem to be conflicting reports about what is going on…“restoration,” “rejuvination,” etc. After seeing those renderings, I’m a little worried they are not doing a restoration on this but building a new completely interior behind the restored facade. Hope that is incorrect as it would be a shame.
And yes, I’ve occasionally seen it fully lit up at night. Not that often, since that’s wicked expensive to do.
Millennium Partners restored the facade years ago as part of an agreement with the City of Boston so they could build their towers next door. The building then sat empty for years more until Emerson College bought it and began to redevelop it.
Does this Paramount marquee light up at night? And why is the facade finished and not the back of the building or behind the facade. It'a like a movie set with all fake fronts!
Here are some pictures I took recently:
View link
Here are some recent construction photos.
The above link should be this one (Paramount/Aurora Illinois):
/theaters/445/
“The design was very similar to Rapp & Rapp’s Paramount in Aurora, Illinois, which opened the previous year. Both had interiors that were a mix of Art Deco and French Renaissance.”
/theaters/24/
When I clicked on the architect’s name only this theatre was listed.
hvsteve1: Well, maybe our paths crossed back then in 1966 and now our paths have crossed again via CT. Small world…sometimes.
Patsy: I also graduated from school in Boston in 1966. I went back for the first time last year. Be prapered for a lot of shocks. I ushered at the Paramount and it was still there, though not in the same condition. I also couldn’t find a Joe and Nemos hot dog stand anywhere. But my old apartment on Irving Street was still there, looking like nothing had been done to the building since I moved out.
It would be fun to get together when you make this trip. If you haven’t been to Boston since 1966, you’ll see that a lot has changed!
Ron: Thanks so very much as this trip to Boston will be a trip down memory lane for me. I attended and graduated from the former Chamberlayne Junior College in 1966 on Commonwealth Avenue which are now very expensive brownstones according to the internet.