I had the opportunity to take a tour of this wonderful facility. The interior has remain largely unchanged. Upstairs in the projection room, I saw the same piece of movie showing equipment which has been in use since 1939. The balcony was spectacular with original balustrades lining the front. Vintage props and other movie-going collectibles are around the movie theater as well. There is a date on a metal plaque at the very tippy-top of the front. There are two dates, the original construction date of 1831 and the reconstruction date of 1883. The superlative status was confirmed form Wikipedia, the interpretive out front, and the website of this theatre.
A representative from the Department of the Interior was kind enough to e-mail me the nomination form and narratives, including the one for this structure, which can be found below.
History
The Newtown Theatre has an extensive history dating back to 1831. It is, in fact, the oldest movie theater in the United States with it's first movie being shown in 1906. Originally built to be a hall for town gatherings and a "non sectarian" church for traveling ministers, it soon became a center of entertainment in Newtown.
By the early 1850's the "Newtown Hall" (As it was then called) was used regularly for performances. These ranged from social dances to concerts, to theatrical productions, and magic lantern shows . In 1883, the building was reconstructed, larger than the first, and designed with stage performances in mind. However, a fire escape from the balcony was not added until 1904.
In 1906 the first movie was shown. In 1936, the interior of the building was redone and new equipment was purchased to enhance the movie-going experience. With the coming of Television and modern movies, Newtown Hall movies were becoming outdated. Rescued in 1953 by the Newtown Community Welfare Council, who now serve as trustees, the little theatre survives complete with the flavor and posters of a bygone era. In 1972, Amos Farruggio, a movie buff and licensed projectionist, rented the hall from the Council, spruced it up, and kept the theatre alive in Newtown until his death. The theatre was then ably run by his wife, Mrs. Farruggio until her death in June of 2005.
Change came again to the theatre on April 29, 1999 when after years of use one of the Theatres old Carbon Arc lamps broke, and the old two projector system was rearranged to accommodate a newer xenon lamp system, and a platter, no longer will the projectionist have to change from machine to machine every 20 minutes, but all things being equal, the original flavor of the theatre still remains.
The old play props are now covered with dust behind the screen at the Newtown Theatre, relics of another era...
The theatre had Air Conditioning installed in 2002 for the Gala showing of "Signs" that was filmed in part in Newtown. The theatre now has upgraded sound with the installation of Sony SDDS and DTS, and recently updated the older optical sound system to a Red Light Reader to accommodate the newer film formats.
SOURCE
Visit HERE to see the brick selling campaign website. They are still selling bricks.
There is an historic marker/interpretive out front. The sign reads:
Newtown Theatre
Newtown Theatre has an extensive history dating back to 1831, being the oldest movie theater in the United States, with the first movie being shown here in 1906. Originally built to be a hall for town gatherings and a non sectarian church for traveling ministers, the building soon became a center of entertainment in Newtown. By the early 1850's, "Newtown Hall" (as it was then called) was used regularly for live performances including social dances, concerts, theatrical productions, and magic lantern shows. During this period, anti-slavery meetings were organized in Newtown Hall, which included sermons by Lucretia Mott and Frederic Douglass, major figures in the reform movement of the 19th century.
In 1883, the building was reconstructed larger than the first, and designed with stage performances in mind. The balcony was added a short time later. WIth the coming of television and modern movies, Newtown Theatre movies were becoming outdated. In 1936, The Newtown Exhibitors renovated the interior of the building and new equipment was purchased to enhance toe movie-going experience. The theatre was originally owned by the Borough of Newtown, and then by the Trustees of Newtown Hall, and now by the Newtown Community Welfare Council.
The theatre survives today, complete with the flavor and posters of a bygone era. The old two-projector system was rearranged in 1999 to accommodate a newer xenon lamp system. In 2002, air conditioning was installed for the showing of "Signs" that was filmed, in part, in Newtown. Old play props once covered with dust behind the screen, relics of another era, found new life in 2006, when the movie screen that had been fixed in place for many years was modified so it could be moved. Once again the stage has come to life with live performances. The theatre today still shows first run movies, along with classic, and art films and has begin to feature live jazz, swing, rock, and stage shows to round out it's schedule for audiences of the next century.
Site Sponsor: The Knights of Phythias & Mr. & Mrs. James M. Baniewicz & Family
About the Sign Program
The Newtown Heritage Walk is a self-guided walking tour consisting of thirty-four 18” x 24” wayside markers at historically significant sites along State Street (Newtown Borough) and Sycamore Street (Newtown Township). Each stop has been selected because of its historical value to the Newtown community, featuring sites from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The Heritage Walk is modeled after similar wayside programs in Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Carlisle, the Delaware Canal, and other historic locations in Pennsylvania.