Temple Theatre
87 S. Main Street,
Fairport,
NY
14450
87 S. Main Street,
Fairport,
NY
14450
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Schine Circuit Inc.
Architects: Michael J. DeAngelis
Functions: Fraternal Hall
Styles: Colonial Revival
Nearby Theaters
Located in Fairport to the east of East Rochester, NY. The Temple Theatre was opened August 12, 1927 with Sydney Chaplin in “The Better ‘Ole”. It was part of the Schine Circuit. It was closed around 1957.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
There is an eBay listing for a program from Schine’s Temple Theatre in Fairport, dated the week of January 1, 1933.
An advertisement for an insurance agency in a 1952 issue of the local newspaper gives the agency’s location as 83 South Main Street, “Next to Temple Theatre.” There’s still a building just south of that location that looks like a theater. Today it is occupied by the Fairport Masonic Lodge, with an address of 87 S. Main Street.
This probably is the Temple Theatre, and given the name, it’s possible that it has always been owned by the Masons, and leased out by them for part-time use as a movie theater- not an uncommon arrangement in small American towns.
The front of the building is fairly simple, but has a bit of Colonial Revival detail. It has a gabled roof, but the auditorium section is more boxlike. The front might have been updated at some point. I can easily picture the building dating from the early 1930s, but probably not earlier, unless it has had a major remodeling.
It probably opened in 1929 (it was definitely open in April of that year) in the French style and seated 1,000. The architect was M.J. De Angelis.
The Temple Theatre had been dark for several months according the the April 28, 1958, issue of the Fairport Herald-Mail. The theater was scheduled to be auctioned off on May 19.
The Thursday, August 11, 1927, issue of the Fairport Herald-Mail said that the Temple Theatre would open the following night. The article confirms Michael DeAngelis as the architect, but claims the style to be Italian Renaissance. An accompanying photo of the theater’s front doesn’t look especially Italian or French to me, but seems vaguely Spanish.
In any case, the current Colonial Revival front is clearly the result of a much later alteration, perhaps done even after the theater had been closed.
Here is a link to the Google Documents version of the page.
The opening movie shown on August 12, 1927 was “The Better ‘Ole” with Syd Chaplin.