Elmwood Theatre
57-02 Hoffman Drive,
Elmhurst,
NY
11373
57-02 Hoffman Drive,
Elmhurst,
NY
11373
22 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 175 of 248 comments found
While we are all sad that the Elmwood will no longer be showing movies anymore, I am so glad that it is in good hands in it’s new life. May you have many years of happiness in the old theater as your new church. It’s the next best thing after it’s original use for the building. It’s so nice to see it is in loving hands, and not going to be gutted for retail.
You deserve it. Fabulous! All the best always!!!
I am a congregant with The Rock Church. You should all know about the treasure that you are seeing. We received this church as a gift from God after years of being “homeless” and no facility.
After years of praying and serving thousands of people in our community through programs for youth and children, theater and social services we received not only the elmwood theater as a home, but also another mega arena in Orlando, Florida that seats 5000 people. The Elmwood theater will be known as the diamond of Queens whose renovation and restoration is being monitored and prepared by some the best architectural minds in the nation. You will shortly see that many will come from all over to participate in our theatrical productions, school and other programs. There will be a formal unveiling of this treasure. Do not worry there will never be another owner of this theater besides the Rock Church.
TIMES LEDGER: View link
Church’s renovation of theater in Elmhurst saves historic site
By Adam Pincus
01/26/2006
Preservationists are applauding the efforts of a Christian church to convert a historic movie theater in Elmhurst into an auditorium for their congregation, saving a 1928 building that was considered for demolition.
Faith Ministries Inc. has slowly rehabilitated the building, which it purchased in 2002 from Sony Loews Theatres, while holding services at 57-02 Hoffman Dr., which it is calling the Rock Community Church.
“It’s great that they are fixing it up,” said Richard Italiano, chairman of Community Board 4 which covers Elmhurst and Corona.
The 2,200-seat theater began as a combination movie theater and vaudeville space under the name Queensboro Theatre, although its early years were not easy, writer and historian Warren Harris said.
Harris grew up on a street just behind the theater and said his mother attended opening night when the theater ran a silent version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and several vaudeville routines. But attendance was weak during the Depression and Harris said the building spent much of its first 18 years dark.
The building had its first makeover in 1946, when the name was changed to Elmwood. In 1979 Sony Loews bought the property and subsequently divided the space into four theaters.
In 1999, the possible demolition of the building was included as part of a deal proposed by the Mattone Group to build an 18-theater multiplex in a nearby site. That deal was put on hold, however, and three years later Sony Loews sold the property.
Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights) said the rehabilitation was good for the neighborhood.
“Anything they do will be an improvement because that facility needed to have repairs,” she said.
Michael Perlman, a Queens preservationist, said the theater was a prime example of the borough’s ornate movie palaces.
“I am happy that they decided to restore the Elmwood Theatre to its former glory,” Perlman said. He noted that other historic theaters, such as the Trylon Theatre in Forest Hills and the RKO Keith’s in Flushing, are facing significant alterations as they are renovated.
The Trylon, built for the 1939 World’s Fair, is being converted into a Jewish community center; while developers plan to convert RKO Keith’s into a mix of residential and commercial uses.
Hi Warren! I see we were both quoted. You did a superb job, & reporter Nicholas Hirshon wrote a solid piece!!! Hopefully, something should be done right now, prior to a different ownership. I will work on convincing the LPC to landmark the Elmwood in the near future. I still did not give up on the Trylon. It’s not an easy battle, but victory is determination! – Michael Perlman
Yes! Nice job, Warren.
Good article. I see you are quoted Warren!
An article about the renovations was published in today’s NY Daily News:
www.nydailynews.com/01-19-2006/boroughs/story/383881p-325879c.html
Ah yes, it could be your browser or the settings on your computer.
When I just leave the pointer over the photos, the location comes up in a little white box.
Warren, I just went to that link and I get the whole page of unidentified photos, with the Elmwood as the fifth one down. Bway, I can’t get that to happen with my mouse. I suspect these differences are probably because I’m on a Mac and using the Safari browser.
Thanks, I can connect to it now. What a difference a comma seems to make!
Warren, here’s the theater link. If you hold the mouse pointer over the photos, without pressing, it will automatically give the address of the location of the theaters:
View link
Jeffrey, have you been to that link lately? It might have been re-structured since your last visit. I could not bring up a page of theater photos. I could only find the Elmwood photo under the link for Elmhurst. I might be able to identify some of the other theaters if I knew where the photos were.
There’s a good photo of the Elmwood exterior undergoing renovations at View link if you scroll down that page of theater photos. Unfortunately, what’s infuriating about Bridge and Tunnel Club is they post no captions or explanations whatsoever. Although they provide a link to Cinema Treasures, they have a whole page of great photos of ex-NYC movie palaces with no way to tell which theaters half of them are!
Thanks Warren! If anyone sees anything else going on there, I’d appreciate a post here so I know about it. I remember going to the Elmwood about 6 or 7 years ago.
Cinemaguy, please note my post above of 11/05/05…While passing by on a bus yesterday (1/01/06), I noticed that the entire front of the building, from sidewalk to roof, has been covered by metal scaffolding. Perhaps to repair/restore the decorative stone work, whch hasn’t been little attended to since the Queensboro Theatre first opened in 1928.
Does anyone know the latest about happenings at the Elmwood? I haven’t heard anything recently and am wondering how work on the church is moving along. I’m also a bit worried that some history inside could be destroyed.
Does anyone know the latest about happenings at the Elmwood? I haven’t heard anything recently and am wondering how work on the church is moving along. I’m also a bit worried that some history inside could be destroyed.
Does anyone know the latest about happenings at the Elmwood? I haven’t heard anything recently and am wondering how work on the church is moving along. I’m also a bit worried that some history inside could be destroyed.
Hi Jeffrey! Thank you very much for your help!!!
A Google search turned up:
Rock Community Church
(718) 651-2950
5702 Hoffman Dr
Flushing, NY 11373
Hi!
Does anyone have a phone number or e-mail address for the Rock Community Church, which is housed in the Elmwood Theatre? Please post or e-mail Thanking you in advance!
Ed, an off topic thing, you mentioned “Jack’s” in flushing which was the last one to go, while visiting my sister in law in Housten Tx. I found there to be a Jack’s on every other block. Gotta love those greasy tacos! Too bad there isnt a fantasy land where there is an old theater every other block.
Jeffrey… you are correct. It was P.S. 13, so my memory is a bit off. Is it 56th Ave that Justice Ave feeds into near the old Macy’s? If so, this is the street the school was on. About a block in from Junction. Now that I think about it, the block the school was on came to an end at Junction… so if that sounds like 56th Ave then that was it. I’ll check out that queensboard site. Thanks.
EdSolero: I certainly do recall that pizzeria. It was called Pizza Pit, and was indeed in from the corner on Junction. I have quite a few photos of that corner. I will let you know when I can get them onto PhotoBucket — but in the meantime, check out the Photo Gallery at The Queens Board (http://queensboard.com/) — especially pages 3 and 4; I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. (However, I’m not familiar with any P.S. 16. I attended P.S. 13, which was between 55th and 56th Aves on 94th St., from 1963-66; it sounds like I was about 10 years ahead of you.)