Capitol Theatre
296 Water Street,
Augusta,
ME
04330
296 Water Street,
Augusta,
ME
04330
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc.
Previous Names: Opera House
Nearby Theaters
The building was constructed in 1865, opening as the Granite Hall on March 7, 1866. It was destroyed by fire in the Winter of 1890, leaving only the four granite walls standing. The Opera House was built on the site in 1891 and it too was destroyed by fire on July 3, 1896. On September 7, 1900 a new second Opera House was opened, again using the original granite walls.
It was renamed Capitol Theatre on October 29, 1930 with Conrad Nagel in “A Lady Surrenders”. It closed as a movie theatre in August 1954. It sat unused until 1964 when it reopened as a live theatre by the Augusta Players. It was closed in 1974. It was demolished in 1983 following a fire.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Capitol in Augusta is listed as part of Maine & New Hampshire Theatres Co. of Boston.
Ron and Bryan the Capitol is Still listed in the 1956 Almanac with the same theatre Company.
I checked on google maps the entire length of water street and the only building that resembled a theater is at approx. 174 Water St. Front looks like it could easily have been a very early theatre building circa 1920, no modernizations, all brick. Side is solid brick and a taller stagehouse area in back. It looks like it has been abandoned for decades, all the small windows in the front are broken out. If this is it, then it was never converted into anything else. Just three sets of double doors in front, marquee long gone. Must be a wreck inside.
I think you mean at 147, not 174. That’s the old Colonial Theatre.
The Capitol is long gone. It was situated in a building built in 1865 at the corner of Water Street and Market Square (near Winthrop Street.) It was converted into the Capitol Theatre in 1930. The building was demolished in 1983 after a major fire, the third in the building’s history.
The building is landmark #18 on this web page. There’s a small photo from the pre-Capitol period.
In its issue of August 24, 1964, Boxoffice reported that workers were busy renovating the Capitol Theatre in Augusta, Maine, in preparation for its reopening. The Capitol had closed its doors in August, 1954. I’ve been unable to find any followup articles saying that the house did in fact reopen for movies after a decade of darkness, but the house was definitely used for live performances by the Augusta Players, a local community theater group who performed on its stage from 1964 to 1974.
Opened as Capitol on October 29th with “A Lady Surrenders”.
Closed 1954.