Rio Theatre
37-39 St. Peter Street,
Schuylkill Haven,
PA
17972
37-39 St. Peter Street,
Schuylkill Haven,
PA
17972
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Just to add a bit of history, this project was commissioned in 1896 to the plans of local architect Frank X. Reilly. It launched as the Opera House on July 4, 1897. The widow of former state senator Samuel A. Losch bought the struggling opera house operating it as the Losch Opera House and adding vaudeville and movies to the mix. It went dormant in 1914 and put up for auction in 1918. It appears to be used for storage.
The Refowich Brothers relaunched the house August 28, 1924 becoming the Refowich Theatre. The 453 seat venue added fire exits, a third floor dance hall, Powers projectors, and – in addition to the existing third floor rest rooms – a ladies room on the main floor. On mMarch 29, 1930, RCA Photophone installation brought talkies to Schuylkill Haven with the short, “Harmony at Home.”
A new operator purchased the Refowich and changed it to the Rio Theatre on Christmas of 1937. In 1953, the theatre was under big pressure from television and dropped to weekend only operation. The theatre adopted a free admission / pay what it was worth upon exit admission policy for the month of April of 1953. It closed by June of 1953 ending its cinematic run. It became a storage facility.
In 1957, the theatre was refreshed becoming the long-running Masonic Lodge meeting place. In 2017, the again-vacant property could be purchased for $125,000.