State Theatre
212 Locust Street,
Harrisburg,
PA
17112
212 Locust Street,
Harrisburg,
PA
17112
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fabian Theaters, Wilmer & Vincent Corp.
Firms: E.C. Horne & Sons
Styles: Italian Renaissance, Spanish Renaissance
Nearby Theaters
The State Theatre was located on Locust Street between 2nd Street and 3rd Street, a little ways down from Capitol Park. The site had been occupied by theatres since approximately 1900. First on this site was the Lyceum Theatre and then the Orpheum Theatre, the latter was closed with a stage play on May 14, 1925. It was demolished to make way for the State Theatre which opened on April 12, 1926 with Keith Vaudeville on the stage. It was also equipped to screen movies. It was equipped with a Marr & Colton theatre pipe organ.
The State Theatre was housed in a large stone building and featured a wide, narrow rectangular marquee with small display panels on each end. A large vertical sign towered three stories at one end of the marquee.
An ornate stand-alone ticket booth was in a wide but narrow exterior space with several entrance doors. The interior of the State Theatre maintained the most overtly theatrical ambiance of any Harrisburg theatre.
There were two lobbies, the first a kind of arcade, and the second an elaborate, palatial affair with chandeliers and much architectural detail. Restrooms were downstairs at opposite ends of the second (main) lobby that also included several display frames for posters and a refreshment stand. I seem to recall a second-floor balcony (mezzanine) space over this lobby that led to the actual seating balcony.
The State Theatre had one of the largest auditoriums and screens in the city. It certainly had the largest screen when it was renovated for CinemaScope in 1953. Fox’s "The Robe" kicked off the wide-screen revolution in Harrisburg with a huge curved screen and a state-of-the-art 4-track stereophonic sound system.
During the first phase of this era the State Theatre alternated 20th Century-Fox CinemaScope films with the Senate Theatre on Market Square but they were much more impressive at the State Theatre.
During the 1940’s and 1950’s the State Theatre alternated Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Columbia releases. A relative also recalls big bands and stage shows at the State Theatre in the 1940’s. In the 1960’s films such as "The Wild Bunch, " “Barbarella," "Such Good Friends”, and "2001, A Space Odyssey" were screened.
Alas, "2001" did not prove prophetic for the State Theatre which closed on November 25, 1973 and was demolished in summer of 1974 to make way for an office building. Poor choice for Harrisburg. It would have made a wonderful downtown performing arts center.
Contributed by
Ross Care
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Recent comments (view all 37 comments)
I was the last manager at the State Theatre in Harrisburg, Pa. It closed in October and I want to say 1975. They ran an article in the Patriot News showing myself and “Hop” my assistant manager with the story of the eminate sale. I have been trying to find that picture for years. I am currently 57 years young and live in the West Palm Beach / Palm Beach area. I worked for United Artist Theatres. They leased it from Fabian Management. The Fabian family decided to get out of the movie theatre ownership. The also owned the State Theatre in Allentown as well as a theatre in Easton. UATC acquired the newly completed Camp Hill Twin theatre which was the last Fabian theatre to be built. Unfortunately UATC found a buyer in Alleghany Utilities and negotiated the sale of the property and thus ended their obligation with Fabian on that property. The city of Harrisburg never had the chance to make a move to preserve the property.
Anyone with pictures should communicate to . Thanks Joseph
I think the Fabians also owned the Colonial Theatre in Harrisburg.
I have the console from the Marr & Colton Pipe organ that was installed there, it is in excellent restored condition, but not connected to any pipes to play at this time.
Articles about the opening of Wilmer & Vincent’s new State Theatre appeared in the April 12, 1926, issue of the Harrisburg Telegraph. One of them noted that the new theater had been designed by E. C. Horn & Sons.
yes the Fabians operated the Colonial Theater. The Colonial theater had the worst electical wiring. I worked there for a short stint. Still hoping to find that Patriot/Evening Oct news article on the impending State Theater. I have listed my email address in the previous posting.
Does anyone know if The State was where “BEN HUR” played its initial roadshow engagement? My thanks
Grand opening ad posted.
rivest: Thanks.
Thanks to everyone for comments. I loved the opulent State and have good memories. Seeing the first CinemaScope films on the biggest screen in Harrisburg and with the best sound system was a great experience and something I still vividly remember, even out here in California.
The Orpheum Theatre closed with a stage play on May 14, 1925. Two months prior, an architectural plan was revealed under the name of the New Orpheum. That project would be renamed as the State Theatre during construction. Craver’s Soda Fountain opened in the lobby serving as the de facto concession stand at the theater’s launch on April 12, 1926.
The State Theatre was refreshed in 1953 to play widescreen titles starting November 5, 1953 with “The Robe” in CinemaScope. The State was closed after a double feature of Velvet Busch in “Lunch” and Janine Lenon in “Aroused” on November 25, 1973. The marquee was maintained until demolition to advertise concerts, provide holiday messages and, finally, to advertise the auctioning off of the venue’s fixtures where you could purchase everything including the marquee. A preservation effort failed early in 1974 and the auction was held May 6-8, 1974. The demolition of the theater took place thereafter.