Loew's Theatre (New Rochelle) facts for kids
The former movie theater in June 2016
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| Address | 585 - 599 Main Street New Rochelle, New York United States |
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| Type | Movie palace |
| Capacity | 2,485 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Closed | 1980 |
| Architect | Thomas W. Lamb; Herbert J. Krapp |
The Loew's Theatre is a historic movie theater located on Main Street in New Rochelle, a city in Westchester County, New York. It was once a very popular place for people to watch movies and live shows.
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A Golden Age for Movie Theaters
The 1920s were known as the "Golden Age" of movies. During this time, many beautiful movie theaters were built across the United States. These theaters were often called "movie palaces" because they were so grand and fancy.
Loew's Theatre was built in 1926 at 585–599 Main Street. Another famous theater, the RKO Proctor's Theater, was built nearby the next year. Both buildings had a similar design. They featured a long, two-story front with shops on the ground floor. The entrance to the theater itself was special, with decorative details and a large sign called a marquee.
Design and Famous Performers
The Loew's Theatre was designed with a Spanish style. You could see this in its clay tile roofs and a fancy, decorative wall above the entrance. The building had about 2,500 seats, making it a very large theater.
A famous architect named Herbert J. Krapp designed the theater. Besides showing movies, Loew's Theatre also hosted live stage shows called vaudeville. Many well-known performers and celebrities appeared there. These included Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, George and Gracie Burns, Sophie Tucker, George M. Cohan, Olivia de Havilland, and Will Rogers.
Changes Over Time
New Rochelle grew a lot in the first half of the 1900s. It was a busy town with many people living there who also worked in nearby New York City. The Loew's Theatre was a big part of the lively downtown area.
However, over time, new inventions changed how people watched movies. The television and VCR became popular, and new movie theaters with many screens and modern technology were built. These changes made older, single-screen theaters like Loew's less popular. The theater eventually closed in 1980.
Restoring a Historic Landmark
In July 2012, a group in New Rochelle received a grant of $500,000. This money was for restoring important historic buildings in the downtown area. The first project funded by this grant was the restoration of the Loew's Theatre's front.
Workers carefully uncovered and restored many original architectural details. These details, made of terracotta and other materials, had been hidden for many years. The restoration brought back the theater's original beautiful look.
In June 2016, a company proposed a large plan for the site. This plan included building a 28-story building with apartments, a parking garage, and shops. By June 2019, people started renting apartments in the new building. The developers restored the historic front of the theater and its marquee. They also added a new 10,000-square-foot space for arts and culture, including a special "black box theater" for performances.
