A search of Google street view puts the building at 586 Roosevelt. The photo is much nicer than that of the Ledger, leading one to believe that this building is in rapid decline.
FRENCHTOWN — In 1939 when the Barn Theater was being built, well-diggers struck water that flowed voluntarily to the surface and continues flowing to this day. For the next 50 years, the excess water came out of a metal pipe where it could be drunk or jugged by anyone who wanted it before it spilled into a ditch beside upper Twelfth Street.
The water was used to air condition the theater — until it showed its last movie in 1989 (“When Harry Met Sally”). Then an entrepreneur, who was trying in vain to get borough approval to turn the empty theater into a Country & Western dance hall, set up a coin-operated apparatus near the roadside to sell the water……..
Forgot this important link – the new home page for the theater
(from the print version of the article – can’t find this webpage via a Google search) http://wwww.thehbt.com/
Funny, caption of the photo in my above link, incidently from the same source as Ken Mc posted above, states photo is ca 1908. Don’t these editors cross check their own book?
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon/index.ssf/2016/05/fire_causes_heavy_damage_at_historic_clinton_music.html#incart_river_index
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon/index.ssf/2016/03/what_was_playing_in_hunterdon_county_movie_theatre.html#incart_river_index
Great cameo on The Goldbergs last night.
http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2014/09/1928_wurlitzer_that_saved_union_county_arts_center_has_a_voice_once_again.html
online story posted today:
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/08/carterets_old_ritz_theater_has_gold_behind_its_walls.html#incart_river
With the new management company I would predict a return to more art house movies since the Ambler, HiWay & County offer this genre.
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/movies/index.ssf/2013/08/jersey_city_loews_a_grand_trip_back_in_time.html#incart_river
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2013/08/obituary_phyllis_ryman_black_f.html#incart_river
According to this article, the deceased was the first female theater manager in NJ when she managed the Clinton Point Theater starting in 1941.
A search of Google street view puts the building at 586 Roosevelt. The photo is much nicer than that of the Ledger, leading one to believe that this building is in rapid decline.
Photo on the front page of today’s Star Ledger. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/poverty_rate_grows_in_njs_blue.html
Passed by today. They have begun to tear down the building, starting in the back where the DMV office once was.
A bit of quirky information from nj.com 7/11/11:
FRENCHTOWN — In 1939 when the Barn Theater was being built, well-diggers struck water that flowed voluntarily to the surface and continues flowing to this day. For the next 50 years, the excess water came out of a metal pipe where it could be drunk or jugged by anyone who wanted it before it spilled into a ditch beside upper Twelfth Street.
The water was used to air condition the theater — until it showed its last movie in 1989 (“When Harry Met Sally”). Then an entrepreneur, who was trying in vain to get borough approval to turn the empty theater into a Country & Western dance hall, set up a coin-operated apparatus near the roadside to sell the water……..
http://www.maguiregroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/mcguiretheater-interior.jpg interior photo
This theater opened in 1955.
http://www.jointbasemdl.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123181098
www.hbt.com
Forgot this important link – the new home page for the theater
(from the print version of the article – can’t find this webpage via a Google search)
http://wwww.thehbt.com/
View link
Reopening on 5/13/11
small photo at this link:
http://www.northjerseymusic.com/venues/329
“Jersey City: In Vintage Postcards”, page 92, has an old postcard image. States that theater was built ca 1910 and became a church in ca 1960.
This theater now houses a funeral home. See picture bottom center and compare to the old photo in my link above:
http://www.cottonfuneralservice.com/home.php
Additional articles about the incident:
View link
View link
View link
There is a reference to the potential reopening of the Savoy in this article.
View link
New owners:
View link
The building currently houses the Bulkhead Bar & Grill.
Funny, caption of the photo in my above link, incidently from the same source as Ken Mc posted above, states photo is ca 1908. Don’t these editors cross check their own book?