Hanover Theatre
39 Frederick Street,
Hanover,
PA
17331
39 Frederick Street,
Hanover,
PA
17331
2 people
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May 13th, 1965
Hanover Theatre reopening 13 May 1965, Thu The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania) Newspapers.com
The State Theatre launched September 28, 1928 with William Haines in “Excess Baggage” supported by shorts including Laurel & Hardy’s “Should Married Men Go Home?” Architects were Gemmmill & Billmeyer (plans are in photos). On August 18, 1930, the Warner Bros. circuit took on the venue along with the Strand. Warner Bros. had to divest its theatre interests and William Goldman took on the State, Strand and Park in 1950.
Goldman first closed the Strand in 1953, then the Park in 1964 and, finally, the State on February 1, 1965 with “The Americanization of Emily” and “The Secret of Magic Island.” It soon became home for a teen club and performance space. Goldman was convinced to reconsider the decision and refreshed the theatre with a lavish grand reopening on May 14, 1965 as the Hanover Theatre. Its first film was “Cheyenne October.”
Goldman sold the venue to Fox Theatres of Reading. They would build a modern single-screen theatre that became a quad in 1983. It was only a matter of time before Fox would move on from the aging downtown theatre. The theatre closed August 30, 1984 with “Oxford Blues.” (The 1986 date is in error.)
All references to the architect of this building is Gemmill & Billmeyer including signed drawings - see, e.g., Variety (August 17, 1927, p. 30).
Facebook page for Hanover Theatre. Many photos.
https://www.facebook.com/StateTheaterHanover/?tn=%2CdkCH-R-R&eid=ARDTfyw3Ijex5qm-PcAwxBf_dU2jT_611Yd9MUq3vTpgXH5N9HdIu19S8nFWzc_ui9BSK_vlQfMPPYLw&hc_ref=ARTvM2DCboCldVV3Ghlw15wM8fDnJ3n0JHCpXcPYr4pP8tJ4NzUHkItHC0ak5cJHjw0&fref=nf&hc_location=group
June 2020 article about renovation.
https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2020/06/18/business-owners-look-remodel-hanover-theater-into-multi-use-space/3191976001/?fbclid=IwAR30Lpi3qQQMzCUx1pvhEqJM0twqNlS_NxbIxuC1lvP6X4ceKcblinu7jLs
Hello, Hanover Enthusiasts! I’ve been trying to get in contact with anyone who can give me information about this theatre! I’m writing a business plan about rejuvenating vintage theatres and was hoping to base this plan around the Hanover theatre and save it! If anyone has contact information for who I could talk to about, it would be wonderful! The email I have found seems to be out of order!
Thanks ahead of time! I’ll keep checking this forum.
This Place Matters!
We just drove by this theater and it is For Sale
Friends of Hanover State Theatre: http://www.friendsofhst.org/ Keep up-to-date & see latest photos via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/friendsofhst
Hanover Theater spotlighted by Preservation PA http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_19755339?IADID=Search-www.eveningsun.com-www.eveningsun.com
Arthur Brounet was the decorator on this theater. We hope his great grandson Bob Marshall will see this and comment or contact us. We are doing a lot of research on this theater.
On August 4, 2010 the company that is holding the theater pending restoration announced that they intend to sell the Hanover Theater. They did not anticipate starting the restoration for a number of years and they decided that it would be better for the revitalization of downtown Hanover to sell the theater to an organization or individual who was in a position to restore the theater as a public space. More info is available at the website,
http://www.HanoverTheater.info
The projectors and remaining sound equipment will NOT be sold to collectors, please don’t contact us about it.
Here is a shot of the theater from July 2010. It does not look like much is going on in the way of renovations. There was a notice on the door that the building had been broken into and vandalized. Ugh!!
View link
View link
correct link.
thanhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/outpastcondorave/sets/72157622984581545/
ks ken mc for posting links to my photos!! above is a link to the whole set. my mom is from hanover..she remembers when this was the old state which is now at a different location nearby.
Here are some additional photos:
http://tinyurl.com/y8j4k8r
http://tinyurl.com/y8bvhsn
This is great news- I hope it is as much as a success as the Gettysburg Majestic and the Carlisle. Both had fantastic renovations and are terrific venues.
I don’t know the date, it wasn’t provided.
According to the website, the first phase of renovation is already underway, which is correcting basic structural damage. Here is another pre-renovation photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2c7437
Finally some good news about this abadoned movie palace. It has been purchased by a group of people who have the intent of restoring it to its 1928 splendor for stage productions and movies. Their web site has all the information. Good luck to them! Hanover PA is a great area. http://www.hanovertheater.info/
I’m a 26 y/o looking to buy the old Hanover Theater, mark it historic if it can be and get it fixed up… if anyone knows of someone that can help me with this process my name is AJ my number is 717-781-4960
thanks
The Hanover theater sits abandoned and neglected. It’s beautiful marquee falling apart. I heard it’s all gutted out inside and was once an antique shop and or used for antiques storage. It’s got an awesome box office out front. Don’t know when it closed-maybe around ‘81/82. Such a shame-the town is really booming.