Shapiro Theatre
14 W. Shirley Street,
Mount Union,
PA
17066
14 W. Shirley Street,
Mount Union,
PA
17066
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The 1,000-seat Shapiro Theatre was located on the outskirts of the business district on W. Shirley Street and S. Division Street. It opened on January 30, 1917. It was badly damaged by a fire in March 1957. It was repaired and reopened. It was closed in 1970.
For a time after it closed it functioned as a church. It then became some sort of workshop and was demolished by 2015.
Contributed by
Chuck
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The December 16, 1916, issue of The Moving Picture World said that the Shapiro Theatre in Mount Union was nearing completion, and was expected to open by Christmas. The house was designed to accommodate traveling stage shows as well as movies.
1941 photo added courtesy of the Jackson-Township Historical Preservation Facebook page.
Katie Pagana writes: This threare suffered damage when a boiler underneath exploded. It happened during a mitinee for kids. My brother Pete and I awere there when the explosion occurred. It was so loud and the floor raised. We were terrified as this was our first matinee ever. I believe it happened about 1948 or 1949. We were about pre-teen at the time.
The two buildings adjacent to the Shapiro Theatre in the photo Granola uploaded on January 29 are still standing, but the theater itself is gone, replaced by a parking lot and drive-up ATM for Clearfield Bank.
IN THE EARLY 1930S THIS WAS THE ROXY THEATRE.
The Shapiro Theatre still needs to be marked as demolished. The building was on the parking lot to the left in the current street view.
The Shapiro Theatre was badly damaged by a fire in March, 1957. Boxoffice of August 31 reported that the house had recently reopened after a $25,000 rebuilding project that had taken five months to complete. A page about the Mount Union Historic District says that the Shapiro Theatre closed in 1970.
The August 19, 1914 issue of The American Contractor ran a notice saying that Joseph Shapiro planned to erect a three story building, 43x160, to house a theater, store, and apartments, on Shirley Street in Mount Union. The project was being designed by Huntingdon architect J. Herbert Hall.
Shapiro Theatre (1917-1970)–‘On January 30, 1917, the new Shapiro Theatre in Mount Union opened its doors to the public. The 3-story brick-tiled, steel building with the front made of white enameled brick had a capacity of 1000 seats including 8 boxes and 8 loges. The stage was 24 feet deep, 44 feet wide and 48 feet high.’ Mount Union Times (Mount Union, PA) Feb. 2, 1917 Pg. 4. Col. 2. NP—American-Historysmith