Emporium Theater
27 W. Fourth Street,
Emporium,
PA
15834
27 W. Fourth Street,
Emporium,
PA
15834
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An Emporium Theatre on 4th Street and the Emporium Opera House on South Street were both listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. I don’t see a South Street on the map of Emporium, so perhaps it was just an alternate name for Fourth Street, and these were both the same theater.
The May 13, 1909 issue of the Cameron County Press carried an announcement that the Opera House at Emporium would reopen for the season Monday evening with a program of vaudeville and movies. In 1926, capsule movie reviews were being submitted to Moving Picture World by manager A. E. Andrews of the Opera House, Emporium. Mr. Andrews included the seating capacity of the house (486) and the prices (10-25 and 15-30, presumably for matinees and evenings, respectively.)
This was a very old building. It appears on the first map of town, from 1887. It was originally known as Clark’s Hall, and has that name through the 1903 map. The 1905 Cahn guide calls it the Emporium Opera House, and gives a capacity of 800. It appears as an opera house up to the 1925 map. It’s not clear when movies began to be shown.
The February 1938 map shows it as a movie theater, and shows that the entire rear portion, which held the stage and scenery, has been removed. Before the new front was added, this was a very basic one story wooden box. It must have been fairly tall, since it had a balcony, but no height is shown on any map.
From Boxoffice magazine, January 1938:
EMPORIUM, Pa.-Interior alterations are underway at the Emporium Theater and a complete new front will be installed. The old opera house-type balcony is being removed and is being replaced by a modern balcony. Also being installed are a new steam heating system, new plumbing and plumbing fixtures, new electric wiring, new carpets and new drapes.
Structural glass or porcelain ornament blocks will be installed in building a new theater front, according to Hyde Murphy Co. of Ridgeway, general contractors. Estimated cost of the renovation of the theater, owned by A.E. Andrews, is $20,000. Alfred E. Marks, Pittsburgh architect, furnished plans for the remodeling.