The Strand was built in 1917 by Harry Graves, a Lowell architect. A chain theater, it was quite lavish and even had a fountain with a fish pond inside the lobby. The lobby had Italian marble, gold leaf, and carved furniture, as well as cut-glass chandeliers and sconces. The Strand Symphony Orchestra played there during movies. The architecture was Movie Palace Baroque, and was quite the theater in its time. The original marquee was altered in 1939, but it remained a theater through the 1960s. The owners, New England Theaters, Inc. sold it to Esquire Theaters of America, Inc. in 1965. By 1965, the pond, chandeliers, and much of its original facade was gone or altered, replaced by florescent lights and vending machines. Lack of maintenance was a big issue, and it was eventually demolished. I wish I could have seen it in its glory days. I have a picture from 1930 and one from the late 1970s, and it is sad to see the decline. I wish that it could have been spared, but unfortunately this happens all the time.
The Strand was built in 1917 by Harry Graves, a Lowell architect. A chain theater, it was quite lavish and even had a fountain with a fish pond inside the lobby. The lobby had Italian marble, gold leaf, and carved furniture, as well as cut-glass chandeliers and sconces. The Strand Symphony Orchestra played there during movies. The architecture was Movie Palace Baroque, and was quite the theater in its time. The original marquee was altered in 1939, but it remained a theater through the 1960s. The owners, New England Theaters, Inc. sold it to Esquire Theaters of America, Inc. in 1965. By 1965, the pond, chandeliers, and much of its original facade was gone or altered, replaced by florescent lights and vending machines. Lack of maintenance was a big issue, and it was eventually demolished. I wish I could have seen it in its glory days. I have a picture from 1930 and one from the late 1970s, and it is sad to see the decline. I wish that it could have been spared, but unfortunately this happens all the time.
The Strand was built in 1917 by Harry Graves, a Lowell architect. A chain theater, it was quite lavish and even had a fountain with a fish pond inside the lobby. The lobby had Italian marble, gold leaf, and carved furniture, as well as cut-glass chandeliers and sconces. The Strand Symphony Orchestra played there during movies. The architecture was Movie Palace Baroque, and was quite the theater in its time. The original marquee was altered in 1939, but it remained a theater through the 1960s. The owners, New England Theaters, Inc. sold it to Esquire Theaters of America, Inc. in 1965. By 1965, the pond, chandeliers, and much of its original facade was gone or altered, replaced by florescent lights and vending machines. Lack of maintenance was a big issue, and it was eventually demolished. I wish I could have seen it in its glory days. I have a picture from 1930 and one from the late 1970s, and it is sad to see the decline. I wish that it could have been spared, but unfortunately this happens all the time.
The Strand was built in 1917 by Harry Graves, a Lowell architect. A chain theater, it was quite lavish and even had a fountain with a fish pond inside the lobby. The lobby had Italian marble, gold leaf, and carved furniture, as well as cut-glass chandeliers and sconces. The Strand Symphony Orchestra played there during movies. The architecture was Movie Palace Baroque, and was quite the theater in its time. The original marquee was altered in 1939, but it remained a theater through the 1960s. The owners, New England Theaters, Inc. sold it to Esquire Theaters of America, Inc. in 1965. By 1965, the pond, chandeliers, and much of its original facade was gone or altered, replaced by florescent lights and vending machines. Lack of maintenance was a big issue, and it was eventually demolished. I wish I could have seen it in its glory days. I have a picture from 1930 and one from the late 1970s, and it is sad to see the decline. I wish that it could have been spared, but unfortunately this happens all the time.