The Hollywood Theater is located on Main Street (Route 9) in Jay, New York (name of the township), in the hamlet of AuSable Forks. Although not used as a theater in years, the facade recently received a makeover and restoration via a government grant. It was used for storage for many years, but was recently purchased by someone who works at the restored Palace Theater in nearby Lake Placid. I’ve heard that new plans for the building are to house some sort of entertainment center, if not for films.
I was in both the Majestic and the Palace last year on a visit for folks interested in Bridgeport preservation. I was surprised to see amidt the damage, the theatres are in near original condition … don’t get me wrong, they are in rough shape. However, when the last owners bought the theatres, nearly nothing was ripped out. Even the original carpets are still in place. Organ consoles, the boxes, carpets, proscenium, dressing rooms, orchestra pits, faded wall paintings, ornamentation, seats … nearly everything is in tact. There was even an old painted show curtain still hanging in one theatre.
The bigger theatre is in better shape. The seats have been removed in the smaller theatre, and some drywall partitions have been punched into the rear orchestra of the smaller one. It is currently being used as a storage warehouse for a local theatre group … wood and big pieces of scenery leaning against the wall paintings and plaster ornamentation … yikes!
I gotta tell you – looking down on a crumbling Thomas Lamb theatre from the balcony was a combination of amazing and heartbreaking. Anyhow. The theatres are amazing, the lobby is breathtaking, and I was fascinated by the arrangment of dressing rooms in-between and shared by the two theatres.
There was a lot of water damage several years ago, but the roof was completely replaced thanks to a grant from the state. The building also housed a traveling salesman type hotel that is in good shape – of the several small interconnection rooms variety. We went from the basements to the roof and the structure is in good shape. Because the interiors are basically untouched, with lots of money, these theatres could look like they originally did without much replication.
I have a collage of several pictures of the interiors of both theatres that I would be happy to email to anyone interested. I am at
I was in both the Majestic and the Palace last year on a visit for folks interested in Bridgeport preservation. I was surprised to see amidt the damage, the theatres are in near original condition … don’t get me wrong, they are in rough shape. However, when the last owners bought the theatres, nearly nothing was ripped out. Even the original carpets are still in place. Organ consoles, the boxes, carpets, proscenium, dressing rooms, orchestra pits, faded wall paintings, ornamentation, seats … nearly everything is in tact. There was even an old painted show curtain still hanging in one theatre.
The bigger theatre is in better shape. The seats have been removed in the smaller theatre, and some drywall partitions have been punched into the rear orchestra of the smaller one. It is currently being used as a storage warehouse for a local theatre group … wood and big pieces of scenery leaning against the wall paintings and plaster ornamentation … yikes!
I gotta tell you – looking down on a crumbling Thomas Lamb theatre from the balcony was a combination of amazing and heartbreaking. Anyhow. The theatres are amazing, the lobby is breathtaking, and I was fascinated by the arrangment of dressing rooms in-between and shared by the two theatres.
There was a lot of water damage several years ago, but the roof was completely replaced thanks to a grant from the state. The building also housed a traveling salesman type hotel that is in good shape – of the several small interconnection rooms variety. We went from the basements to the roof and the structure is in good shape. Because the interiors are basically untouched, with lots of money, these theatres could look like they originally did without much replication.
I have a collage of several pictures of the interiors of both theatres that I would be happy to email to anyone interested. I am at
It is certainly nice to have one of our neighborhood theatres still standing, but I’ve always thought the chop job on this building was cramped and ridiculous – eight screens where there was one. Anyhow, nice to have it, but it freaks me out in a fire-trap sort of way. There’s really very little left of the interior. I think most of us can usually figure out “what was where” in these old theatres, but this place is tough. Every inch of this building is being used as something. I go here now and then, but more often I find myself at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Rose Cinemas – chopped up, but not as severe and they really managed to retain a great deal of the building’s integrity.
The Hollywood Theater is located on Main Street (Route 9) in Jay, New York (name of the township), in the hamlet of AuSable Forks. Although not used as a theater in years, the facade recently received a makeover and restoration via a government grant. It was used for storage for many years, but was recently purchased by someone who works at the restored Palace Theater in nearby Lake Placid. I’ve heard that new plans for the building are to house some sort of entertainment center, if not for films.
I was in both the Majestic and the Palace last year on a visit for folks interested in Bridgeport preservation. I was surprised to see amidt the damage, the theatres are in near original condition … don’t get me wrong, they are in rough shape. However, when the last owners bought the theatres, nearly nothing was ripped out. Even the original carpets are still in place. Organ consoles, the boxes, carpets, proscenium, dressing rooms, orchestra pits, faded wall paintings, ornamentation, seats … nearly everything is in tact. There was even an old painted show curtain still hanging in one theatre.
The bigger theatre is in better shape. The seats have been removed in the smaller theatre, and some drywall partitions have been punched into the rear orchestra of the smaller one. It is currently being used as a storage warehouse for a local theatre group … wood and big pieces of scenery leaning against the wall paintings and plaster ornamentation … yikes!
I gotta tell you – looking down on a crumbling Thomas Lamb theatre from the balcony was a combination of amazing and heartbreaking. Anyhow. The theatres are amazing, the lobby is breathtaking, and I was fascinated by the arrangment of dressing rooms in-between and shared by the two theatres.
There was a lot of water damage several years ago, but the roof was completely replaced thanks to a grant from the state. The building also housed a traveling salesman type hotel that is in good shape – of the several small interconnection rooms variety. We went from the basements to the roof and the structure is in good shape. Because the interiors are basically untouched, with lots of money, these theatres could look like they originally did without much replication.
I have a collage of several pictures of the interiors of both theatres that I would be happy to email to anyone interested. I am at
I was in both the Majestic and the Palace last year on a visit for folks interested in Bridgeport preservation. I was surprised to see amidt the damage, the theatres are in near original condition … don’t get me wrong, they are in rough shape. However, when the last owners bought the theatres, nearly nothing was ripped out. Even the original carpets are still in place. Organ consoles, the boxes, carpets, proscenium, dressing rooms, orchestra pits, faded wall paintings, ornamentation, seats … nearly everything is in tact. There was even an old painted show curtain still hanging in one theatre.
The bigger theatre is in better shape. The seats have been removed in the smaller theatre, and some drywall partitions have been punched into the rear orchestra of the smaller one. It is currently being used as a storage warehouse for a local theatre group … wood and big pieces of scenery leaning against the wall paintings and plaster ornamentation … yikes!
I gotta tell you – looking down on a crumbling Thomas Lamb theatre from the balcony was a combination of amazing and heartbreaking. Anyhow. The theatres are amazing, the lobby is breathtaking, and I was fascinated by the arrangment of dressing rooms in-between and shared by the two theatres.
There was a lot of water damage several years ago, but the roof was completely replaced thanks to a grant from the state. The building also housed a traveling salesman type hotel that is in good shape – of the several small interconnection rooms variety. We went from the basements to the roof and the structure is in good shape. Because the interiors are basically untouched, with lots of money, these theatres could look like they originally did without much replication.
I have a collage of several pictures of the interiors of both theatres that I would be happy to email to anyone interested. I am at
It is certainly nice to have one of our neighborhood theatres still standing, but I’ve always thought the chop job on this building was cramped and ridiculous – eight screens where there was one. Anyhow, nice to have it, but it freaks me out in a fire-trap sort of way. There’s really very little left of the interior. I think most of us can usually figure out “what was where” in these old theatres, but this place is tough. Every inch of this building is being used as something. I go here now and then, but more often I find myself at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Rose Cinemas – chopped up, but not as severe and they really managed to retain a great deal of the building’s integrity.