Crystal Theatre

This would be very, very easy to research. The Meriden Library has a terrific and complete collection of back newspapers, either in paper or microfiche. Some records go back to colonial times. Fascinating stuff.

I grew up in Meriden, but I don't recall ever hearing about the "Crystal Theater." I've been by this particular building thousands of times; it has been largely vacant since the mid-1960s.

As I said above, it closed in the 1930's, so unless you are quite elderly you wouldn't have heard about it. I'm not sure if it was a storefront theatre or if an auditorium was carved out of space inside this building or what.

If anyone in Meriden wishes to contact the local newspaper editor, I'm sure he/she would be interested in the work being done online through Cinema Treasures. Meriden and it surrounding towns at one time had many, many theaters and drive-ins. Now, all gone but still remembered. This is a news feature story that could capture interest and make for additional online submissions about these theaters.

I was in my home town, Meriden, recently, and noticed that this building has been demolished. Don't know if there was a fire, or if it had been condemned. I do know this was a late 1880s/1890s structure that probably hadn't had a paying tenant for its upper floors in probably 50 years. Meriden used to be a thriving industrial town. What's left is a ghost town. Very sad that the one town voted in WWII as America's "Ideal War Community" ended up like this.

Yeah, sadly this was demolished a few years ago.