Merrimack Square Theatre
146 Paige Street,
Lowell,
MA
01852
146 Paige Street,
Lowell,
MA
01852
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Great information here about the Merrimack Sq. Theatre. I tracked down the 1910 Lowell Sun article mentioned above. It explains about the separate projection booth structure (visible in one of the photos available on this site) and says that that arrangement was to avoid the noise from the projector disturbing the audience and then adds “it also minimizes the danger in case of the machine exploding or catching fire.”
September 24, 1929 photo with Merrimack Square Theatre background left of center, from John Street looking down Paige Street via Facebook link below. 3 images including one enlargement. Current POV below that.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6166559196689877&set=pcb.10159628978623740
https://pbase.com/image/173471825
The March 11, 1940 obituary of Lowell architect Harry Prescott Graves in The Lowell Sun mentioned the Merrimack Square Theatre as one of his works. An announcement about the new theater then nearing completion at 146 Paige Street appeared in the August 18, 1910 Sun, but it called the house the Scenic Theatre. It was under lease to Jennings and Bradstreet, Boston-based operators of a chain of New England movie theaters. This article also noted Graves as the architect.
The Scenic Theatre opened on August 20, 1910, but the name did not last long. The name Merrimack Square Theatre was appearing in the paper by October 8. The management of the house apparently remained the same, however, as this notice appeared in the March 25, 1911, issue of The Nickelodeon:
The Merrimack Square is listed under Lowell in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 1,676 seats and open daily.
I’ve added Hathaway’s as the Playhouse Theater
/theaters/32544/
Here you’ll find the picture that Ruth had and some others
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_casto
Thanks Ruth
Cool 1941 photo.
Hi Ruth,
I don’t have much that isn’t available in the photo books of Lowell and what I got out of the directories in the library there. I’d love to see that photo and possibly add it to the galleries crediting you if you’re willing. Did I get the proper corner?
you can contact me through http://scottymoore.net/contact.htm
Hello all.
The Casto Theatre was originally The Shattuck Street Universalist Church. It underwent a series of uses, including dance hall and theater, after the congregation had moved elsewhere. I just found a photo of it in my search for images of Lowell’s nineteenth century dance destinations. J.V., you make absolutely the only reference to the Casto Theatre that a web search turns up. You seem so well informed, I have to ask, do you have any more tidbits of info on Lowell’s social scene a hundred years ago that you’d like to share? I’d be happy to trade research info!
All I know of Hathway’s in Lowell is what I listed. If its the same hathaway as the other cities then he didn’t build it in Lowell, he bought it and renamed it. The next time I go back to the libraries there I’ll see what else they have on it since I didn’t really look in any detail.
Here, though, is a 1906 obit in the Sun about a policeman who worked the beat at Hathaway's
View link
Prov. and J.V. Roy- for some discussion about the Hathaway’s Theatre in Lowell, see the Page here in CT for the Hathaway’s Theatre in New Bedford MA. The Hathaway’s in Lowell was part of the Keith vaudeville circuit as of 1909. There was also a Hathaway’s Theatre in Brockton MA. Apparently, the 3 theaters were related.
Hi Robert,
From what I know of the name Hathaway, according to the city directories it was located up the block and around the corner from Rogers Pool, on Shattuck at the corner of Market (or Market at the corner of Shattuck). I’m betting it was where the parking lot to the Athenian Corner is now.
It started sometime before 1896 as the Savoy until 1902, then the Casto Theatre from 1903 to 1905, Hathaway’s Theatre from 1906 to 1912 and finally the Playhouse Theatre from 1913 to 1918.
I am so impressed with the work of Mr. Roy and Mr. Salters. They have done much to fill in a huge gap in Lowell’s rich theater history. Mr. Roy’s picture of the site of the Merrimack Square today was taken at the corner of Bridge Street and Paige Street (named for Cecil Paige who owned Paige’s in the Square, a downtown restaurant/bakery/soda parlor)…the parking garage structure is on Paige. The space between the garage and the reconstructed apartment building shown on Bridge Street is approximately the same as the space between the Merrimack Square Theater building and the original apartment building previously occupied by the Merrimack’s entrance and lobby as shown in Mr. Salter’s photo. In that same photo, to the right of the Merrimack’s entrance, is a one-story building with a Spanish-tiled roof. The rear remnants of that same small building, replete with Spanish tile, still exist a block away at the corner of Bridge and French Streets. That view gives a good idea of the positioning of the old Merrimack. Although I was never in the Merrimack, I do remember it being torn down and wondering, “Why?”.
Changing the subject, I have a challenge for Mr. Roy and/or Mr. Salters. I also remember being told by the oldtimers about a theater, named the Hathaway, which existed at 150 Middle Street in Lowell, a building now occupied by Rogers Pool. I wonder what they can find out about it. I suspect the Hathaway existed in the 1800’s, was probably one of Lowell’s first theaters, and was constucted in a style reminiscent of Ford’s Theater in Washington, D. C. The back of 150 Middle Street still backs on my old dentist’s office. The loading doors for the stage are quite evident. Although I’ve been in Roger’s, I’ve never explored it to see if there are any remnants of the Hathaway.
Here is a shot from 1941 courtesy Ron Salters
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123593267
Here is a picture of the site today
http://www.pbase.com/image/123298812
Here is a June 1921 ad from the Lowell Sun:
http://tinyurl.com/ykqfu4e
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report for this theatre with an exterior photo dated June 1950. The Merrimack had a one-story entrance just to the right of a large 4-story commercial building. There was a triangular marquee with “Merrimack” in neon-outline letters at the top. Attractions are Robert Preston in “The Sundowners” plus “Square Dance Katy”. There was a poster case at each side of the entrance, and a portable poster board set up in the middle. Unfortunately, no one filled out the Report form. However, someone typed in the theatre name as “Merrimack Square”, then someone crossed that out and wrote in “Merrimack”.
On 9/10/50, the Merrimack was showing “Stella” with Ann Sheridan and Victor Mature. The Merrimack Drive-In on Lawrence Boulevard was showing “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and “It Happened One Night”.
A Wurlizter organ, opus 577, was installed in this theatre on 9/14/1922. Another Wurlitzer, opus 980, was installed on 12/31/1924.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s;1941 and 1943 editions as having a seating capacity of 1,635 and operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidairy Mullins and Pinanski. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. gives a seating capacity of 1,400.