Grand Theatre - Ellsworth ME
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nomadwillie
N 44° 32.532 W 068° 25.293
19T E 545952 N 4932259
Built in 1938, it is a significant local example of Art Deco architecture, with a prominent marquee and a stepped steel-and-glass tower.
Waymark Code: WMX8BE
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 12/12/2017
Views: 3
An arsonist destroyed much of the Ellsworth business district in 1933, apparently starting a fire the city's first movie theatre, the 1933 Bijou. The Grand was built in 1938 as part of the recovery effort. It was designed by Boston architects Krokyn & Brown, and is a single-story brick building which includes five storefront spaces and a rear two-story auditorium, designed for showing movies, with an original capacity of 730 patrons.
The Grand served as a movie theatre from 1938 to 1962. The theatre was purchased by a nonprofit in 1975 and was reopened for a benefit performance that year. It has since served as a performance hall for theatre, concerts, and Met Opera HD broadcasts, among other events.[4] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, citing its locally distinctive architecture, and its long-running role as a major entertainment venue in the region.[5] Its capacity was reduced by renovations after the 1975 purchase to 480 to provide space for a stage.
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