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Historic Montauk Theatre could be destroyed
posted by
tibia
on
January 22, 2010 at 9:52 am
PASSAIC, NJ — The historic Montauk Theater seems to be set to be torn down. In most recent years it was a xxx house, and although extremly dirty, was said to be intact.
A number of years ago a man who runs movie theatres in Northern New Jersey, offered to buy it from the city. The idea was to keep the balcony area as a divided movie theatre, and turn the downstairs into a performing arts center, with a theatre pipe organ possibly controlled by the main console of the former Roxy Theatre console.
This whole idea came to nothing, as the city of Passaic said it needed the building for retail space. If one were to look around the city, there is more than enough empty retail space, so this is ridiculous. It has been reported that a huge stained glass window with the letter M survives. The theatre once had a theatre organ by the local firm of Griffith Beach. Passaic has never been the same since they took out the railroad from downtown. I will update when new info is available.
Eric Fahner
Comments (9)
For a minute, I thought this was about the theater in Montauk, Long Island. Thank goodness, because as long as I’ve been going to the Hamptons, I’ve never been to a movie at that theater.
Well, well…LM-HG… it’s about time you went there with cash in hand… that’s how they keep the lights ON!!!
What a sin it would be if this theatre is allowed to be demolished.
my dad used to go to this place back when it showed real movies and not adult porn.
I’m opening a cinema in New York and I wonder if they would allow us to remove some of the beautiful Montauk theater details to preserve them at our new theater? Eric, do you have any contacts you could share? I assume we’ll have to inquire with the Passaic city government?
That’s ridiculous. Why can’t the city maintain the theatre better, and keep it clean, instead of destroying it? If the city of Passaic, NJ has other places that can be used as extra retail space, then, for G*d’s sake, save the theatre, instead of depriving the residents of Passaic, NJ of the right to enjoyment of a theatre that belongs to their community.
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My name is Angelica and this is a page I have made to raise awareness abou this theatre. It shares a little history on the theatre and also a picture of the outside back in 1925. Please join! Spread the word! I’m trying to get it on the National Register of Historic Landmarks. It would make it eligible for grants so we can turn it into a “clean” theatre. We could restore it to it’s natural glory!
Tehnically as of now, they want to demolish the entire block and build a school there.
And 9 years later, the school finally opens