For what it’s worth, the newly released Brooklyn Theatre Index has at least passively entered the debate about this theater’s status by NOT including it in its extensive records. This is odd, since the Index does not limit itself to movie houses and the Polish National Hall has long functioned as an active concert venue. Whether this omission represented an editorial decision or an oversight is for you to decide.
The Index DOES recognize the one-time existence of an old theater situated across the street at 255-7 Driggs – the Greenpoint Star – that operated from 1912 through 1922. I remembered the place as a furniture store and the temporary home of the Greenpoint Public Library.
BabyBoomer, the Brooklyn Theatre Index, which just came out, lists two other old Greenpoint theaters that were once situated on Driggs Ave. The first was the Driggs Palace, which was situated at 206-08 Driggs and existed from 1913 to 1918. I suspect that this site now lies under the roadbed of McGuinnes Blvd.
The second, known as the Greenpoint Star Theatre, had a capacity of 258 and operated from 1912 through 1922. It was situated at the Southeast corner of Eckford – across the street from the Polish National Hall – and had a 255-7 Driggs and 92 Eckford address. I believe a furniture store once occupied this site. In addition, the Greenpoint Public Library used this building as its temporary home in the early 1970’s after the old Carnegie library was rudely demolished and before its drab replacement opened.
Since both of these theaters went out of business MANY years ago, your dad probably did not remember them. They might not even have been movie houses. But at least this helps fill in the record. Happy New Years.
Well, this marks the third anniversary of the date when I first stumbled over this wonderful site and posted my first comment. It’s been a lot of fun over these last three years.
In 2011, I hope someone will find and post a picture of this modest but greatly missed theater.
Bway, you took the google street view of the Manhattan Ave./Meserole Street intersection, which is in Williamsburg. The old opera house was situated just west of the Manhattan/Meserole Avenue intersection, in Greenpoint. If you take this view from Manhattan Ave. looking west on Meserole, the opera house would have been situated on the right side of the street
The Brooklyn Theatre Index provides additional documentation for this theater. It also notes that it was probably known as the Bushwick Palace in the late 1910’s – early 1920’s.
One problem that emerges from this is that the Index and the 448 Bushwick Ave. address suggest a location at the Northwest corner of Bushwick and Flushing, which would place it – like the old Echo Theater – within the grounds currently occupied by the Bushwick-Hylan housing project. This is inconsistent with the information that I gleaned from Armbruster, who placed it at the Southwest corner, where a gas station currently exists. However, while the EXACT location of this theater remains in some doubt, it was good to find its actual existence more definitively documented.
Wherever it ulmimately proves to be located, the old movie house rests on historic grounds. The Northwest corner hosted the Crosswalks Inn, which was a haven for Tories during the Revelutionary War and would, after 1812, become the village of Bushwick’s town hall and main meeting venue. The Southwest corner, on the other hand, contained a blacksmith’s shop that was owned by a fervent patriot and – at least according to Armbruster – what we would now refer to as a FOB – or Friend of George, Washington that is. This obviously presents a much different picture than the banality – and worse – that confronts the eye today.
The recently published Brooklyn Theatre Index contains some additional information regarding this long gone theater.
First, it lists a specific cinematic lifespan of 1909 to 1915 and cites a Morris Goodman as the theater’s proprietor.
Second, and of pertinence to the building’s status, it notes that, in early 1916, just after it closed as a theater, the building was altered to accommodate a store and two family dwellings. This layout is very similar to that of the building currently occupying this site. While there is some confusion with the exact street address – not an unusual occurance – the location of the building seems pretty clear. This provides a strong, if hardly conclusive, argument that this small theater was situated in a building that was not demolished but still exists. Let the debate go on!
Bway, I wish I had you for my buyer. I had to shell out $43 for the set.
While the Index does provide excellent reference materials, it, unfortunately, does not contain a large number of photos. There is a nice one of the Wagner that I have not seen before – although the one you posted is better – and a great shot looking up Graham Ave. that captures the old Folly Theatre. And there are a number of others. However, you should not buy the Index if you only want to look at the pictures.
Regarding your question of what became of the old Opera House, the record, at least to date, is pretty blank. Most of the western portion of the block, which abuts Lorimer St., is dominated by the Greenpoint YMCA. So, it is possible that this large building could have been constructed on the old theater’s site. However, the Index places it closer to the Manhattan Ave. corner, which is not occupied by any buildings of note. So, beyond sheer speculation, we really don’t know.
The discussion of this theater in the excellent and recently released “Brooklyn Theatre Index” strongly suggests that the Washington was actually situated near the intersection of Washington and High Sts., which is several blocks south of the location noted in the map. This now places the old theater near the north end of Cadman Plaza Park – or in the upper precincts of Brooklyn Heights rather than in the middle of nowhere. This makes a lot of sense, since, as I noted above, it does not seem credible that a theater could make a go of it in such a totally non-residential community. My guess is that a change occured in Washington St’s numbering at the time it was radically truncated in the early 1950’s.
The Index also sheds some light on the relationship between the Washington Theatre, located at 153-5 Washington and containing a capacity of 400, with the Heights Theatre, located at 159 Washington with a capacity of 834. Since the Washington existed from 1914 to 1927 and the Heights only came on the scene on the year of the former’s demise, it appears highly possible that the smaller theater was incorporated within the larger one and that the two theaters did not operate side by side for any length of time. Since, however, the change that ocurred here was quite radical, it makes sense to maintain separate CT pages for each theater.
Finally, according to the Index, the actual name of this venue was the “Washington Street Theatre” not merely the “Washington Theater”.
I have been spending the last day or so roaming through Cezar Del Valle’s excellent “Brooklyn Theatre Index”, which just came out. In reading it, however, I came across one error with regard to this old movie house.
On page 369 of Volume I, it is stated that the Nassau was demolished to make way for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. This is not the case. As noted in a previous comment, I found the old house at 337 Grand to be very much intact, in the block between Havemeyer and Marcy, when I visited the site a couple of years ago. During the interim, the BQE certainly did not change course! Thus, while the construction of this highway rudely destroyed that portion of Grand St. situated between Marcy Ave. and Rodney St. – and turned the western end of Grand into something of a non-commercial backwater – it did not directly destroy the Nassau. So, anyone seeking to change the theater’s current status based upon the info contained in the Index should be forewarned appropriately.
However, further down the page, the Index identifies an old theater – the Garden Theatre, at 393 Grand – that almost certainly was covered by the BQE. (It did, however, close well before the onset of the highway, in 1928.) This Garden Theatre does NOT, for now, appear in Cinema Treasures.
I just bought myself a late Christmas present – Cesar Del Valle’s terrific “Brooklyn Theatre Index” – and there is a lot to enjoy.
One chestnut appearing therein apparently solves the riddle, discussed above, of the existence of the “Greenpoint Opera House”. As noted on page 16 of Volume II, this theater was actually constructed at the northwest corner of Meserole and Manhattan Aves. – with a Meserole Ave. address – and provided vaudeville and burlesque performances for all of two years – from 1892 to 1894. Although the owners definitely thought that they were providing a valuable product for a theater starved populace, this apparently wound up being a case where “if you build it, they will NOT come”.
Anyhow, the very short life span of the Opera House plus its location on a non-major street probably accounts for its almost total lack of an historical record., a situation that has now been resolved.
The Landmarks Commission’s report in support of the Shore’s designation has just been put on line and is linked below. (If the link does not work, you can access it via the Commission’s web site in NYC.GOV.)
Thanks Ken for the very quick response. So, this very coincidental situation did, in fact, occur.
I initially found the 1920 closing of both theaters odd, since the opening of the Culver El would seem to have made McDonald Ave. a more attractive place to run a theater. (Just think of all the movie houses that thrived, under the El, on Broadway and Fulton St. in Brooklyn.) I then remembered that the opening of the Culver El did not mark the end of street level railroad service and that a freight line continued to run on McDonald Ave. for many decades thereafter. This two level of train service probably undermined the commercial attractiveness for running movie houses here, especially when other less impacted commercial strips were situated in close proximity. In any event, that is my very speculative theory. Any other ideas?
Hmm. So there were two Ditmas movie houses – one a theater and the other a theatre – that were situated, either right on or just off McDonald Ave., only a few blocks apart – and both closed on the very same year! This sounds almost too coincidental and at least suggests that only one of these theaters actually existed. Ken, does the book that you referenced shed any light on this? Specifically, does it say anything about the “other” Ditmas? Also, can anyone else cite a situation where two theaters with the very same names were situated in such close proximity? I certainly cannot think of any.
An article that I recently wrote, linked below, discusses a number of old Bushwick movie houses, including the Imperial. In addition to the text, the article contains an excellent slide show, which the staff of the wonderful BushwickBk blog assembled.
BabyBoomer, I know that bar, most recently known as Goodman’s, very well. Before exiting Greenpoint for Forest Hills in 2001, I spent many hours at Goodman’s – and had a farewell drink there on the night we moved away. As far as I know, the place is still going strong.
This bar very much resembles the old “Batatics”, which was situated just across the street from the Winthrop and now hosts a liquor store. It is exactly the kind of bar that existed when the old Winthrop still showed movies.
jseven, I think your comments about the current Pilgrim Baptist Church concern the old, and much lamented, Loews Gates, which closed in 1977 and has served as Reverand Roy Brown’s base since the early 1980’s. This theater has a page on this site that I just linked below. Hope you enjoy it.
Bway, this is a wonderful picture of a community that no longer exists. In addition to the old 1St. Ave. El and the Gramercy Theater, this picture captures a remnant of the old Gashouse District that was obliterated when Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village dislodged this community in the late 1940’s. It does not appear to be the “slum” that the Robert Moses' of the world said that it was when the wrecking balls came.
I just linked an article that I recently wrote in the terrific BushwickBk blog that discussed a number of old Bushwick theaters, including the Alhambra. Several vintage and current pictures of this site also appear in an extended slideshow that also includes a number of other old theater sites. Hope you enjoy it.
I am linking an article that I recently wrote in the terrific BushwickBk blog that discussed a number of old Bushwick theaters, including the New Ideal. A recent picture of the theater appears toward the end of a slideshow that also depicts a number of other old theaters. Hope you enjoy it
A brief description of the old Eagle plus a few current pictures of the site appear in an article that I recently wrote for the terrific BushwickBk blog. The pictures can be viewed in a slideshow that also contains pictures of a number of other old Bushwick movie houses. Hope you enjoy it.
The picture of the old G&M site appears at the end of a slideshow that accompanied an article that I recently ran in the terrific BushwickBK blog about old Bushwick theaters. In case you are interested, I have now attached the full article. Hope you enjoy it.
A belated but very hearty congratulations to CT and Ken. I particular appreciated the help Ken provided when I added my first – and to date only – theater to this site.
CT continues to provide great pleasure and countless insights. Keep up the good work.
While I guess the past names for this theater have been further clarified, the introduction still incorrectly states that the site is now occupied by a high rise MTA office building. As clearly noted above, this is not correct and the site now “hosts” an extremely ugly parking garage.
Baby Boomer. I was just trying to identify a new “Driggs Ave.” movie site that was situated somewhere between Manhattan Ave. and the Winthrop Theatre at Russell St. If your dad was referring to the Winthrop then I guess the search is at an end. If not, we need to dig a bit more.
Anyhow, the Winthrop has a rather short page on CT that you may wish to peruse – and hopefully add to.. It appears below.
For what it’s worth, the newly released Brooklyn Theatre Index has at least passively entered the debate about this theater’s status by NOT including it in its extensive records. This is odd, since the Index does not limit itself to movie houses and the Polish National Hall has long functioned as an active concert venue. Whether this omission represented an editorial decision or an oversight is for you to decide.
The Index DOES recognize the one-time existence of an old theater situated across the street at 255-7 Driggs – the Greenpoint Star – that operated from 1912 through 1922. I remembered the place as a furniture store and the temporary home of the Greenpoint Public Library.
BabyBoomer, the Brooklyn Theatre Index, which just came out, lists two other old Greenpoint theaters that were once situated on Driggs Ave. The first was the Driggs Palace, which was situated at 206-08 Driggs and existed from 1913 to 1918. I suspect that this site now lies under the roadbed of McGuinnes Blvd.
The second, known as the Greenpoint Star Theatre, had a capacity of 258 and operated from 1912 through 1922. It was situated at the Southeast corner of Eckford – across the street from the Polish National Hall – and had a 255-7 Driggs and 92 Eckford address. I believe a furniture store once occupied this site. In addition, the Greenpoint Public Library used this building as its temporary home in the early 1970’s after the old Carnegie library was rudely demolished and before its drab replacement opened.
Since both of these theaters went out of business MANY years ago, your dad probably did not remember them. They might not even have been movie houses. But at least this helps fill in the record. Happy New Years.
Well, this marks the third anniversary of the date when I first stumbled over this wonderful site and posted my first comment. It’s been a lot of fun over these last three years.
In 2011, I hope someone will find and post a picture of this modest but greatly missed theater.
Bway, you took the google street view of the Manhattan Ave./Meserole Street intersection, which is in Williamsburg. The old opera house was situated just west of the Manhattan/Meserole Avenue intersection, in Greenpoint. If you take this view from Manhattan Ave. looking west on Meserole, the opera house would have been situated on the right side of the street
The Brooklyn Theatre Index provides additional documentation for this theater. It also notes that it was probably known as the Bushwick Palace in the late 1910’s – early 1920’s.
One problem that emerges from this is that the Index and the 448 Bushwick Ave. address suggest a location at the Northwest corner of Bushwick and Flushing, which would place it – like the old Echo Theater – within the grounds currently occupied by the Bushwick-Hylan housing project. This is inconsistent with the information that I gleaned from Armbruster, who placed it at the Southwest corner, where a gas station currently exists. However, while the EXACT location of this theater remains in some doubt, it was good to find its actual existence more definitively documented.
Wherever it ulmimately proves to be located, the old movie house rests on historic grounds. The Northwest corner hosted the Crosswalks Inn, which was a haven for Tories during the Revelutionary War and would, after 1812, become the village of Bushwick’s town hall and main meeting venue. The Southwest corner, on the other hand, contained a blacksmith’s shop that was owned by a fervent patriot and – at least according to Armbruster – what we would now refer to as a FOB – or Friend of George, Washington that is. This obviously presents a much different picture than the banality – and worse – that confronts the eye today.
The recently published Brooklyn Theatre Index contains some additional information regarding this long gone theater.
First, it lists a specific cinematic lifespan of 1909 to 1915 and cites a Morris Goodman as the theater’s proprietor.
Second, and of pertinence to the building’s status, it notes that, in early 1916, just after it closed as a theater, the building was altered to accommodate a store and two family dwellings. This layout is very similar to that of the building currently occupying this site. While there is some confusion with the exact street address – not an unusual occurance – the location of the building seems pretty clear. This provides a strong, if hardly conclusive, argument that this small theater was situated in a building that was not demolished but still exists. Let the debate go on!
Bway, I wish I had you for my buyer. I had to shell out $43 for the set.
While the Index does provide excellent reference materials, it, unfortunately, does not contain a large number of photos. There is a nice one of the Wagner that I have not seen before – although the one you posted is better – and a great shot looking up Graham Ave. that captures the old Folly Theatre. And there are a number of others. However, you should not buy the Index if you only want to look at the pictures.
Regarding your question of what became of the old Opera House, the record, at least to date, is pretty blank. Most of the western portion of the block, which abuts Lorimer St., is dominated by the Greenpoint YMCA. So, it is possible that this large building could have been constructed on the old theater’s site. However, the Index places it closer to the Manhattan Ave. corner, which is not occupied by any buildings of note. So, beyond sheer speculation, we really don’t know.
PS. Have a wonderful New Year!
The discussion of this theater in the excellent and recently released “Brooklyn Theatre Index” strongly suggests that the Washington was actually situated near the intersection of Washington and High Sts., which is several blocks south of the location noted in the map. This now places the old theater near the north end of Cadman Plaza Park – or in the upper precincts of Brooklyn Heights rather than in the middle of nowhere. This makes a lot of sense, since, as I noted above, it does not seem credible that a theater could make a go of it in such a totally non-residential community. My guess is that a change occured in Washington St’s numbering at the time it was radically truncated in the early 1950’s.
The Index also sheds some light on the relationship between the Washington Theatre, located at 153-5 Washington and containing a capacity of 400, with the Heights Theatre, located at 159 Washington with a capacity of 834. Since the Washington existed from 1914 to 1927 and the Heights only came on the scene on the year of the former’s demise, it appears highly possible that the smaller theater was incorporated within the larger one and that the two theaters did not operate side by side for any length of time. Since, however, the change that ocurred here was quite radical, it makes sense to maintain separate CT pages for each theater.
Finally, according to the Index, the actual name of this venue was the “Washington Street Theatre” not merely the “Washington Theater”.
I have been spending the last day or so roaming through Cezar Del Valle’s excellent “Brooklyn Theatre Index”, which just came out. In reading it, however, I came across one error with regard to this old movie house.
On page 369 of Volume I, it is stated that the Nassau was demolished to make way for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. This is not the case. As noted in a previous comment, I found the old house at 337 Grand to be very much intact, in the block between Havemeyer and Marcy, when I visited the site a couple of years ago. During the interim, the BQE certainly did not change course! Thus, while the construction of this highway rudely destroyed that portion of Grand St. situated between Marcy Ave. and Rodney St. – and turned the western end of Grand into something of a non-commercial backwater – it did not directly destroy the Nassau. So, anyone seeking to change the theater’s current status based upon the info contained in the Index should be forewarned appropriately.
However, further down the page, the Index identifies an old theater – the Garden Theatre, at 393 Grand – that almost certainly was covered by the BQE. (It did, however, close well before the onset of the highway, in 1928.) This Garden Theatre does NOT, for now, appear in Cinema Treasures.
I just bought myself a late Christmas present – Cesar Del Valle’s terrific “Brooklyn Theatre Index” – and there is a lot to enjoy.
One chestnut appearing therein apparently solves the riddle, discussed above, of the existence of the “Greenpoint Opera House”. As noted on page 16 of Volume II, this theater was actually constructed at the northwest corner of Meserole and Manhattan Aves. – with a Meserole Ave. address – and provided vaudeville and burlesque performances for all of two years – from 1892 to 1894. Although the owners definitely thought that they were providing a valuable product for a theater starved populace, this apparently wound up being a case where “if you build it, they will NOT come”.
Anyhow, the very short life span of the Opera House plus its location on a non-major street probably accounts for its almost total lack of an historical record., a situation that has now been resolved.
The Landmarks Commission’s report in support of the Shore’s designation has just been put on line and is linked below. (If the link does not work, you can access it via the Commission’s web site in NYC.GOV.)
Congratulations to all involved.
View link
Thanks Ken for the very quick response. So, this very coincidental situation did, in fact, occur.
I initially found the 1920 closing of both theaters odd, since the opening of the Culver El would seem to have made McDonald Ave. a more attractive place to run a theater. (Just think of all the movie houses that thrived, under the El, on Broadway and Fulton St. in Brooklyn.) I then remembered that the opening of the Culver El did not mark the end of street level railroad service and that a freight line continued to run on McDonald Ave. for many decades thereafter. This two level of train service probably undermined the commercial attractiveness for running movie houses here, especially when other less impacted commercial strips were situated in close proximity. In any event, that is my very speculative theory. Any other ideas?
Hmm. So there were two Ditmas movie houses – one a theater and the other a theatre – that were situated, either right on or just off McDonald Ave., only a few blocks apart – and both closed on the very same year! This sounds almost too coincidental and at least suggests that only one of these theaters actually existed. Ken, does the book that you referenced shed any light on this? Specifically, does it say anything about the “other” Ditmas? Also, can anyone else cite a situation where two theaters with the very same names were situated in such close proximity? I certainly cannot think of any.
An article that I recently wrote, linked below, discusses a number of old Bushwick movie houses, including the Imperial. In addition to the text, the article contains an excellent slide show, which the staff of the wonderful BushwickBk blog assembled.
Hope you enjoy it.
View link
BabyBoomer, I know that bar, most recently known as Goodman’s, very well. Before exiting Greenpoint for Forest Hills in 2001, I spent many hours at Goodman’s – and had a farewell drink there on the night we moved away. As far as I know, the place is still going strong.
This bar very much resembles the old “Batatics”, which was situated just across the street from the Winthrop and now hosts a liquor store. It is exactly the kind of bar that existed when the old Winthrop still showed movies.
jseven, I think your comments about the current Pilgrim Baptist Church concern the old, and much lamented, Loews Gates, which closed in 1977 and has served as Reverand Roy Brown’s base since the early 1980’s. This theater has a page on this site that I just linked below. Hope you enjoy it.
/theaters/3883/
Bway, this is a wonderful picture of a community that no longer exists. In addition to the old 1St. Ave. El and the Gramercy Theater, this picture captures a remnant of the old Gashouse District that was obliterated when Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village dislodged this community in the late 1940’s. It does not appear to be the “slum” that the Robert Moses' of the world said that it was when the wrecking balls came.
JF, your nice words mean a lot. Thanks.
I just linked an article that I recently wrote in the terrific BushwickBk blog that discussed a number of old Bushwick theaters, including the Alhambra. Several vintage and current pictures of this site also appear in an extended slideshow that also includes a number of other old theater sites. Hope you enjoy it.
View link
I am linking an article that I recently wrote in the terrific BushwickBk blog that discussed a number of old Bushwick theaters, including the New Ideal. A recent picture of the theater appears toward the end of a slideshow that also depicts a number of other old theaters. Hope you enjoy it
View link
A brief description of the old Eagle plus a few current pictures of the site appear in an article that I recently wrote for the terrific BushwickBk blog. The pictures can be viewed in a slideshow that also contains pictures of a number of other old Bushwick movie houses. Hope you enjoy it.
View link
The picture of the old G&M site appears at the end of a slideshow that accompanied an article that I recently ran in the terrific BushwickBK blog about old Bushwick theaters. In case you are interested, I have now attached the full article. Hope you enjoy it.
View link
A belated but very hearty congratulations to CT and Ken. I particular appreciated the help Ken provided when I added my first – and to date only – theater to this site.
CT continues to provide great pleasure and countless insights. Keep up the good work.
While I guess the past names for this theater have been further clarified, the introduction still incorrectly states that the site is now occupied by a high rise MTA office building. As clearly noted above, this is not correct and the site now “hosts” an extremely ugly parking garage.
Hopefully, this error will also be addressed.
Baby Boomer. I was just trying to identify a new “Driggs Ave.” movie site that was situated somewhere between Manhattan Ave. and the Winthrop Theatre at Russell St. If your dad was referring to the Winthrop then I guess the search is at an end. If not, we need to dig a bit more.
Anyhow, the Winthrop has a rather short page on CT that you may wish to peruse – and hopefully add to.. It appears below.
/theaters/8421/