RKO Palace Theatre

179 S. Broad Street,
Trenton, NJ 08608

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: RKO, Walter Reade Theatres

Architects: Paul J. Henon, Jr., William H. Hoffman

Firms: Hoffman-Henon Co.

Previous Names: Broad Street Theatre, Grand Theatre, Reade's Palace Theatre

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RKO Palace Theatre

Originally opened as the Broad Street Theatre on February 17, 1912. By 1917 it had been renamed Grand Theatre. It possibly went through a renovation and re-opened on April 29, 1923 as Reade’s Palace Theatre. In 1937, it was taken over by RKO. Listed as open in the 1951 Film Daily Yearbook, this theatre probably closed in the late-1960’s or early-1970’s. It has been demolished and a courthouse was built on the site.

From MikeH’s post on the Trenton Strand:

“The last downtown RKO theatre was several blocks further south on S. Broad Street which was called the RKO Palace Theatre. It wasn’t an important first-run house but it was fairly big and ornate. It also had one of those big marquees. Here again, I don’t remember ever having been in this theatre but I could have”.

Contributed by tc

Recent comments (view all 12 comments)

teecee
teecee on July 6, 2005 at 10:15 am

Original name was the Grand Theatre.
trentonhistory.org

teecee
teecee on July 6, 2005 at 10:30 am

“Grand Theatre, (Benjamin Levine & Joseph Levine), 179 S Broad”

listing in the 1920 Trenton City Directory as hosted by trentonhistory.org. I belive that the Levines were the managers.

teecee
teecee on August 3, 2005 at 4:51 pm

Per philadelphiabuildings.org, architect was Hoffman-Henon Co. They prepared plans on 3/17/1920 for the Stanley Co. of America for a new movie theater (not named) at Broad & Warren Streets.

teecee
teecee on May 29, 2006 at 9:01 pm

Listed as the Grand Theatre on page 126 of the 1917 Trenton City Directory under “Moving Pictures”. Address is given as 181 S. Broad.
By the time the 1923 Trenton City Directory was published, it was called Reade’s Palace.

itswagon
itswagon on June 27, 2007 at 5:58 pm

Broad and Warren Streets do not cross in Trenton.

jim78609
jim78609 on June 28, 2011 at 2:30 am

The Trent Theater was a few doors from the intersection of State and Warren, and the Lincoln was next to the Trent…

rivest266
rivest266 on October 1, 2011 at 6:41 pm

This opened on April 24th, 1923. Grand opening ad posted here.

rivest266
rivest266 on October 1, 2011 at 8:35 pm

Reopened on October 1st, 1937, ad posted here.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on May 10, 2012 at 3:41 am

An archival drawing of the the theater as the Broad Street/Grand Theater: View link

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on May 10, 2012 at 4:03 am

There is a very old picture of the RKO Palace as the Broadstreet Theatre on this webpage. It is below the pictures of the Majestic and will enlarge if clicked upon.

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