Plaza Theatre
106 S. Walnut Street,
Milford,
DE
19963
106 S. Walnut Street,
Milford,
DE
19963
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Schine Circuit Inc.
Architects: Paul J. Henon, Jr., William H. Hoffman
Firms: Hoffman-Henon Co.
Previous Names: New Plaza Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Plaza Theatre was opened on February 22, 1922. By 1929 it had been renamed New Plaza Theatre and was equipped with a Robert Morton theatre organ. By 1941 it was operated by the Schine Circuit. By 1943, it was known as the Plaza Theatre, and was destroyed by a fire on September 23, 1946.
It was replaced by a new theatre designed by architects John Eberson and Drew Eberson which opened on June 4, 1948 as the Milford Theatre (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures).
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The Plaza burned shortly after closing on Friday, September 22, 1946 in a spectacular blaze fought by dozens of firefighters from many nearby communities. Schines replaced it with a luxurious 1,600 seat theater that opened on June 1, 1948 and was considered to be their crown jewel.
William Warren opened the first theatre in Milford Delaware called Warren’s Palace Theatre in Milford Delaware in 1918 on the west side of downtown Milford just north of the Mispillion River. A competitor opened Nixon’s Palace Theatre in Milford in 1922.
Not to be outdone William Warren opened the Plaza around 1923. The Plaza was the largest building in Milford. In the early 1940’s the Plaza became part of the Schine Circuit and was labelled by the Schine Circuit as “The New Plaza Theatre” although the townfolks always referred to it simply as The Plaza Theatre.
The Plaza burned on September 23, 1946. Capitalizing on the Plaza fire the Armory building was quickly converted into the Shore Theate. The Shore Theatre opened on October 28, 1946. The Schine circuit responded by commissioning the Ebersons to reconfigure what remained of the Plaza combined with a new build which was christened The Milford Theatre (which opened in June 1948).
See what it looks like now: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1273022190717.2038368.1384782593&type=1&l=b36ec522d6
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1092398595240.2014809.1384782593&type=1&l=fea5c908e6
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1082526148435.2013343.1384782593&type=1&l=5272f63f83