Waldo Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Waldo Theatre
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 916 Main St., Waldoboro, Maine |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1936 |
| Architect | Benjamin Schlanger |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002434 |
| Added to NRHP | September 11, 1986 |
The Waldo Theatre is a special old building in Waldoboro, Maine. It's located at 916 Main Street. This theatre first opened in 1936. It was built to show movies. A famous architect named Benjamin Schlanger from New York City designed it. People thought it was one of the best small theatres in the whole country! Today, a group that doesn't make a profit runs the theatre. They use it for plays, concerts, and other fun events. In 1986, the theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical building.
About the Waldo Theatre
The Waldo Theatre is on the north side of Waldoboro's main street. It is right next to the old U.S. Customhouse and Post Office.
What Does It Look Like?
The theatre is a two-story building. Its walls are made of brick. It has wooden decorations and a sloped roof. The front of the building looks like an old Greek temple. It has four tall columns. These columns hold up a fancy top part and a triangle-shaped roof section. The edges of the roof have small block-like decorations.
Inside, the theatre is not overly decorated. The designs you see remind people of the Art Deco style. This was a popular design style in the 1920s and 1930s. The theatre has seats on the main floor and a balcony. About 400 people can watch a show there.
How Was It Built?
A local family, the Cooney family, built the theatre in 1936. They hired Benjamin Schlanger to design it. He was a well-known architect who designed many theatres.
The Waldo Theatre had some very cool features for its time. The seats were not all the same size. Some seats were even made for people who had trouble hearing. The floor inside slopes down. The seats are also set at a slant. This helps everyone see the screen better. The theatre also had a very good air system. It could quickly change the air to keep the temperature just right.
The theatre showed movies through the 1950s. After that, a local group called the Masons used it. It was also used for some live performances.
See also
