I recently visited Everett Square Theater, in Boston MA. The theater was built as a Vaudeville Theater, and still has Milton Berle’s signature on the wall from 1925. The theater went on to be be a movie theater and an auction house before being abandoned. The current own is working on stabilizing the building. The building has many unique details, including notes on the projection booth walls about running the carbon arc projector lamps that were used decades ago.
The Paramount Theater in Springfield, Massachusetts is on the verge of its second rebirth. Built in the 1920s, it was first restored in 1986. Over the intervening years, its condition declined before it closed in 2015 with a badly leaking roof. The current owner is obtaining grants and other funding for a full renovation, estimated to cost $40 million. Photographed in October of 2018.
Victory Theater is located in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Abandoned for years, areas show considerable amounts of decay, while other areas are merely more than dirty and dated. The owners expect to begin restoration in the spring.
Built in the late 1800’s as an Opera House, it then hosted Vaudeville acts in the early parts of the 1900’s, before becoming a Movie theater. It spend its later years as showing adult films before closing in 2006. the lower seating area is mostly gutted. The balcony has had some interesting changes over the years. The 100+ year old seats remain, having been unoccupied for decades. The new owners hope to turn it in to a new event venue.
