Park Theater
254 Chestnut Street,
Meadville,
PA
16335
254 Chestnut Street,
Meadville,
PA
16335
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Architects: Victor A. Rigaumont
Functions: Bank
Styles: Greek Revival
Nearby Theaters
The Park Theater opened in 1922 for vaudeville only. It was equipped with a Moller 3 manual 15 ranks organ. It later began screening films.
In 1946, it was remodeled to the plans of architect Victor A. Rigaumont. Additions to the decoration of the auditorium were 12 murals and 32 smaller panels, as well as a large ‘Mural of the Ages’ above the proscenium, which were all the work of William A. Karuso, a Hungarian born, US trained artist.
The Park Theater was closed on March 30, 1958, and was converted into a bank.
Contributed by
Ken McIntyre
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
Here is a photo, circa 1954. “Silver Chalice” was Paul Newman’s first film.
http://tinyurl.com/o3cz22
Boxoffice magazine reported in March 1958 that the Park would close in a few weeks, and then would be turned into a bank.
Park Theatre Is Closing at Meadville
MEADVILLE, March 25, 1958 â€" The Park Theatre, Meadville’s largest motion picture theater, will ring down the curtain this Sunday after the more than 35 years it has entertained audiences with movies. The First National Bank of Meadville has taken a 50-year lease and will move into that building, at 254 Chestnut St., as soon as the theater is converted into a bank.
The bank, in turn, has been purchased by the Mack Realty Co. for the G. C. Murphy Co., which will raze the present bank building at Chestnut and Market streets for expansion of the Murphy department store.
The Park Theatre was built in 1922, when movies were the rage, despite the fact that they had no sound. The theater has a seating capacity of 1,500.
Another motion picture theater in Meadville closed its doors several years ago. Now, only one, the Academy Theater, which seats 800 persons, will remain.
The Associated Contractors of Conneaut Lake will convert the theater into a bank. The present bank building will be torn down to make way for an enlarged G. C. Murphy store. The department store, which is now L-shaped, has entrances on both Chestnut and Market streets. When the bank building is razed, it will enable the Murphy Co. to extend its store to the corner. The Murphy Co. has been in Meadville since 1912. A real estate firm, two dentists and Meadville radio station WMGW, all of which have offices in the bank building, will have to find other quarters, but they will not have to leave before next fall. Announcement of the bank’s plans was made today by Edwin H. Seep, president of the bank. The theater is owned by the Park Theatre Corp., of which firm Dr. Harry C. Winslow is president.
From tjhe google street view/areiel view the building is still there and a bank but the sidewalls have windows, so it was probably completely gutted.
The Pipe Organ was a Moller, opus 4030, 1924. It was removed and donated to Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church in Chautauqua, NY. It was rebuilt in 1962 with a new Console and Opus number of R-682
Went to a concert this evening at the Hurlbut Church and heard the newly renovated organ that was originally in the Park Theatre/Meadville PA.
The actual closing date is March 30, 1958.