The "Hippodrome's Of Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Part II - Theatres In Downtown Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking all the Lancaster Face Book pages as well as online sites for photographs of movie theatres that at one time graced the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

The Strand Movie Theatre on Manor Street.

Yesterday I told you the story of a favorite of mine from my childhood, but by the time I had become an adult, the Strand Theatre was no more.  And, as time went on, all of the rest of the movie threaders in downtown, or close to the center of the city, had also vanished.  The only "Theatre" that still remains in Downtown Lancaster is "The Fulton Theatre" on North Prince Street which has never been a movie theatre, serving as a live venue since it was built.  

The Fulton Opera House in downtown Lancaster.

Type in Fulton Theatre in the little white box at the top left of this story if you want to read about "The Fulton Theatre."  As for the other theaters in the downtown area, I have been to many of them over the years except the Hamilton which I knew existed, but never ventured into along North Queen Street.  The first large movie theaters in downtown Lancaster were built between 1910 and 1916.  They were The Hippodrome/Capitol, The Hamilton, The Colonial and The Grand.  

A very early photograph of the Grand in Lancaster.

The Grand Theatre was the smallest of the theatres in the 100 block of N. Queen with seating listed at 873.  It may also be the oldest of the downtown theatre being built in 1913.  It opened on October 6 with Robert Broderick in "Arizona."  The Grand was later operated by Warner Bros. and closed in 1969 when the Mayor of Lancaster decided to renovate the 100 block of North Queen and totally demolished the entire block.  

An old newspaper photo of the 2nd block of North Queen.
The Grand is in the middle of the photograph.

Over the past dozen or so years, many residents realize it was perhaps the biggest mistake ever made in the city of Lancaster.  It was such a disaster that another renovation of the area began a few years ago to correct what was done in 1969.  Stories I read about the Grand said that it did not have a curtain in front of the screen.  The Hamilton Theatre was across the street from the Grand and was opened on September 11, 1916 with Billie Burke in "Gloria's Romance" and Mary Pickford in "Hulda from Holland."  Seating was listed at 1,014 and was operated by Warner Bros. and its subsidiaries.  

The original Hippodrome Theatre on North Queen St.

The Hamilton was once one of the most ornate motion picture palaces in the East.  The building was part of the Wheatland Hotel, later the Milner Hotel.  The Hamilton closed in the early 1960s and was later demolished in the downtown renovation.  The Hippodrome was located at 150 N. Queen Street and opened in 1910.  It was destroyed by a fire and the Capitol Theatre was built on the same site in 1916.  It had a seating capacity of 1,161 and also closed in the mid-1960s and was later demolished.  

This photograph shows the Capitol in the foreground and
the Hamilton in the middle of the photo and the Boyd
Theatre at the end of the block.

The Colonial Theatre was opened on January 29, 1912 with 1,250 seats.  It stood on the corner of North Queen Street and West Chestnut Street.  The theatre was acquired by Boyd Theaters and renovated.  It reopened as the Boyd Theatre on August 14, 1956.  It closed in 1965 and was demolished in the redevelopment of the area.  

The King Theatre on East King Street.

There was also a theatre complex in the third block of North Queen Street called the Eric Pacific 3.  That also is gone.  The final theatre in Lancaster was located at 419 E. King Street. The King Theatre opened on April 27, 1950 with seating on a single floor.  The marquee and facade still remain today, but the theatre was converted into residences a few years ago.  I asked my wife if she knew of any movie theatres that are in the city anymore.  We both drew blanks.  Such a shame that all the theaters are located outside the city limits.  Maybe someday that will change and make it easier for city residents to walk to the theatre for an evening of entertainment.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.