Abbott Theater
420 14th Street,
Huntington,
WV
25701
420 14th Street,
Huntington,
WV
25701
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Additional history credit “Back In The Day” in #HuntingtonWV, courtesy David Smith.
The Abbott Theater was built in 1938 & cost $1,700 on a lot purchased by W.E. Neal, West End Realty Co. Named for Darwin E. Abbott, who came here in 1873, self-taught photographer, who opened a photo studio & later a picture frame plant in Central City that was one of the city’s largest employers. He passed in 1942. Its heyday was in the 1930’s/40’s. Later showing second releases, double features, and shorts. It showed its last movie in 1951. The next year, W.E. Neal and his wife Susan leased the theater to Community Players Inc. They staged lots of shows, but in the early 1990s, it was in need of too many repairs, & the board of directors closed the final curtain. A fire caused it to be razed in Dec. 1994.
The theater was indeed on 14th Street West about ½ block north of Adams Avenue. The building was abandoned by the Huntington Community Players. The building was probably torn down in the mid 1990s. It was a very nice little neighborhood second run movie house. ‘Tis a shame that there are very few small movie houses left in the USA. It’s sad to say that there are none in within the city limits of Huntington.
Isn’t this the theater that was on West 14th Street off Adams Avenue? The above map doesn’t indicate that. I’ve lived in the Huntington area now for about 40 years and was going nuts trying to recall the name of that little theater!
Thats too bad was a nice looking theatre.
The Abbott theatre had Smoke and Water damage following a fire that destroyed two neighboring Buildings.A community group thatre abandoned the Abbott in 1991.The theatre had served the town for a quarter of a century.Due to maintenance and Structural problems the Abbott was condemned.