Garden Theater Block facts for kids
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Garden Theater Block
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 353-367 Main St., Greenfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1928 |
| Built by | George H. Reed |
| Architect | Mowll & Rand |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Part of | Main Street Historic District (ID88001908) |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000591 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 1, 1983 |
| Designated CP | October 13, 1988 |
The Garden Theater Block is a special historic building located at 353-367 Main Street in Greenfield, Massachusetts. It was finished in 1929 and is built in the Colonial Revival style. This building is home to the city's biggest place for shows and movies.
What makes this theater unique is its "atmospheric" design. This means the inside was made to look and feel like you are outdoors in a beautiful garden. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It also became part of the Main Street Historic District in 1988. Today, the theater is known as the Greenfield Garden Cinemas.
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What Does the Garden Theater Block Look Like?
The Garden Theater Block is on the south side of Main Street in downtown Greenfield. It's just east of an area called Bank Row. The building has a strong steel frame. Its front part, which is two stories tall, is made of brick and stone. It shows off the classic Colonial Revival style.
The front of the building is divided into seven sections. These sections are separated by stone pillars. The outer parts of the building have shops. These shops have doors set back from the street and big display windows. Above these shops, on the second floor, are two windows.
The Theater Entrance
The middle section of the building is where you enter the theater. This entrance is set back deeply and has a large sign, called a marquee, over it. Above the marquee, the windows have rounded tops. The very top of this central section has a pointed roof shape, like a triangle.
Step Inside the Unique Garden Theater!
The inside of the Garden Theater is very fancy and special. It has carpets with garden themes. There are also beautiful paintings, called murals, on the walls. These murals show scenes from New England. A famous artist named Frederick Marshall painted them.
A Sky Indoors
The ceiling of the theater is designed to look like the night sky. It has special lights that look like stars. Some of these "stars" even twinkle! There is also machinery that can make it look like clouds are moving across the ceiling. All these features work together to make you feel like you are watching a show or movie outdoors in a lovely garden.
A Look Back: History of the Theater
The Garden Theater was built between 1928 and 1929. It was designed by architects Mowll & Rand from Boston. The Goldman family, who owned many theaters in western Massachusetts, had it built. At that time, it was the third and largest theater in Greenfield.
From Live Shows to Movies
The theater was made for both movies and live performances, like vaudeville shows. However, it only had live shows sometimes. Soon, it became a place just for showing films. The Goldman family ran the theater for 70 years. It closed its doors in 1999.
After it closed, the city took ownership of the property because of taxes. But the Goldman family was able to get it back through legal steps. The theater was then changed. It was divided into seven smaller movie theaters. During these changes, the beautiful murals were covered up.
The Goldman family then rented out the theater to other people. These renters bought the property in 2008. They had plans to make more improvements to the theater.
See also
