Santander Performing Arts Center
136 North 6th Street,
Reading,
PA
19601
136 North 6th Street,
Reading,
PA
19601
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September 10th, 1922 grand opening ad in photo section
Name of the theater has been changed along with that of the bank sponsoring it; it’s now the Santander Performing Arts Center. Web site has moved here.
The June 11, 1921 issue of the Reading Times reported that the New York firm of E. C. Horne & Sons had been chosen to design the repairs and addition to the Rajah Temple which had been devastated by a fire the previous month.
The old Rajah Temple was gutted by fire in May, 1921. The rebuilding project was extensive, costing approximately one million dollars and taking more than a year to complete. The five-bay facade of the original building was retained, though there were extensive alterations to its upper floors, but the rebuilt theater’s entrance was in a new annex that was erected adjacent to the surviving front portion of the original structure. The auditorium of the new Rajah Theatre was new construction as well.
The book “Reading in Historic Postcards” includes cards depicting the original and the rebuilt building on page 107. The text on the latter card says that the Austin organ installed in the rebuilt theater had cost $35,000.
An grand opening announcement from September 10th, 1922 is on this page at View link
At July 2009 tour of Theatre Historical Society of America of this very interesting exotic theater, we were told there are now 1752 seats.
On Jan 23, 1919 Jack Dempsey fought there vs Kid Harris.
I worked as an usher at the Rajah in the 1970s.
Locally Rajah was pronounced Roy-yah.
I have not been in it since Sovereign renovation. I hope they kept
the wonderful orientalist detailing.
Does anyone have any further information on the history, seating, etc. for the Rajah?