Address was 404-406, and this is long gone. Lots of parking lots and dumpy little prefab buildings in this stretch. Little wooden shops and homes in this area on the 1913 map.
This building still exists, at least on the 2019 streetview. It is abandoned, and likely to become part of Johnstown’s extensive collection of vacant lots. There is an ‘A N’ monogram on the top. The building may have existed in 1913, but the style looks problematic. If it was earlier, there was an extensive remodel to turn it into a theater.
The 1913 map has a large house on this corner. The next map is a 1949 update, so not terribly helpful pinning down a date, but the building likely dates from the early ‘20s.
Functions are wrong. The bowling alley used to be a car dealership. The theater was to the east. 203 is now part of 201, a dull little fake colonial bank. From the side you can see that the auditorium is now offices facing the parking lot.
The ‘park’ is really sad. A tiny spot of space next to a parking lot, where you can hang out at an intersection and look at the traffic light box and a few scruffy buildings.
The 1908 map calls it the Theatorium. It was located in what the map calls the Goldsmith Building, which indeed replaced a wooden store which appears on the 1901 map. It also offered vaudeville on a small stage. The 1914 map shows a wallpaper store located there.
The auditorium was not constructed until sometime between 1886 and 1891. It was called the Grand Opera House at least until 1927. The auditorium was so large that part of the building behind the stage actually hung over the alley. The 1905 Cahn guide gives a capacity of 1,000.
The Geyer was likely built to replace the Central Opera House, a large wooden structure built in about the same location as the Geyer’s auditorium sometime between 1884 and 1891. It was a simple one-story barn, and had no frontage on Pittsburgh.
The Geyer’s entrance has always been very narrow. It was originally a single story wooden structure that stopped well short of the street. By 1908, it was a two-story wood frame with brick veneer, set just back from the street, and by 1925 it had been remodeled yet again to its present appearance.
The name change to Strand happened sometime between 1914 and 1925. The 1905 Cahn guide gives a capacity of 806.
SethG
commented about
Theatreon
Aug 10, 2021 at 1:42 pm
The Stadium is wider than the old Majestic. There were one story buildings on both sides of the Majestic, so the new building was expanded to the north. Since the Majestic itself is shown as being one story, it was likely almost completely destroyed, although possibly in the first fire, before it became the Royal.
This theater was located in the eastern half of the Phoenix Block, a large 2-story brick structure constructed sometime before 1889. This had been the location of a local newspaper (the ‘Democrat’ and then the ‘Times’), and they maintained a printing operation on the second floor. The theater first appears on the June 1913 map. In 1908, the ground floor was a grocery. The depressing bank appears to be from the ‘70s.
Joe - I think this must be the Palace. This was on the west side, 2 doors north of 2nd. The date on the photo you found must be close, but this theater had not yet opened in 1906.
We have the Palace identified as the Isis. Ken often tries to help me out with an ID, which I almost never have. In this case, there’s such an absurd number of theaters coming and going within just a few blocks, so mistakes are to be expected.
Address was 404-406, and this is long gone. Lots of parking lots and dumpy little prefab buildings in this stretch. Little wooden shops and homes in this area on the 1913 map.
Err… retail with offices above, rather.
For some stupid reason, I walked right past this without getting a picture.
This building still exists, at least on the 2019 streetview. It is abandoned, and likely to become part of Johnstown’s extensive collection of vacant lots. There is an ‘A N’ monogram on the top. The building may have existed in 1913, but the style looks problematic. If it was earlier, there was an extensive remodel to turn it into a theater.
The 1913 map has a large house on this corner. The next map is a 1949 update, so not terribly helpful pinning down a date, but the building likely dates from the early ‘20s.
Address is wrong. This building is at 423. Looks like offices with retail above.
Movie in Joe’s photo is ‘The Man With My Face’ so it was taken in 1951.
Looks like the cruddy little shed was being constructed in 2009, so the theater building may have lasted until just before that.
Address is wrong, and this has been demolished. Correct address was 339, and there’s a dismal little office building there now.
So they stripped off the brick facade, put up a fake old-fashioned front, and moved the entrance to one side?
Functions are wrong. The bowling alley used to be a car dealership. The theater was to the east. 203 is now part of 201, a dull little fake colonial bank. From the side you can see that the auditorium is now offices facing the parking lot.
Need status changed to demolished.
The ‘park’ is really sad. A tiny spot of space next to a parking lot, where you can hang out at an intersection and look at the traffic light box and a few scruffy buildings.
I was there over Memorial Day 2013, and had no idea there was a part of town all the way at the bottom of the hill!
The 1908 map calls it the Theatorium. It was located in what the map calls the Goldsmith Building, which indeed replaced a wooden store which appears on the 1901 map. It also offered vaudeville on a small stage. The 1914 map shows a wallpaper store located there.
The auditorium was not constructed until sometime between 1886 and 1891. It was called the Grand Opera House at least until 1927. The auditorium was so large that part of the building behind the stage actually hung over the alley. The 1905 Cahn guide gives a capacity of 1,000.
I think that has to be it.
The Geyer was likely built to replace the Central Opera House, a large wooden structure built in about the same location as the Geyer’s auditorium sometime between 1884 and 1891. It was a simple one-story barn, and had no frontage on Pittsburgh.
The Geyer’s entrance has always been very narrow. It was originally a single story wooden structure that stopped well short of the street. By 1908, it was a two-story wood frame with brick veneer, set just back from the street, and by 1925 it had been remodeled yet again to its present appearance.
The name change to Strand happened sometime between 1914 and 1925. The 1905 Cahn guide gives a capacity of 806.
The theater had been replaced by a store by 1924.
This theater had closed by 1924, when the entire space was a store.
We’ll need a time machine to answer that, I fear.
The Stadium is wider than the old Majestic. There were one story buildings on both sides of the Majestic, so the new building was expanded to the north. Since the Majestic itself is shown as being one story, it was likely almost completely destroyed, although possibly in the first fire, before it became the Royal.
This theater was located in the eastern half of the Phoenix Block, a large 2-story brick structure constructed sometime before 1889. This had been the location of a local newspaper (the ‘Democrat’ and then the ‘Times’), and they maintained a printing operation on the second floor. The theater first appears on the June 1913 map. In 1908, the ground floor was a grocery. The depressing bank appears to be from the ‘70s.
Joe - I think this must be the Palace. This was on the west side, 2 doors north of 2nd. The date on the photo you found must be close, but this theater had not yet opened in 1906.
We have the Palace identified as the Isis. Ken often tries to help me out with an ID, which I almost never have. In this case, there’s such an absurd number of theaters coming and going within just a few blocks, so mistakes are to be expected.