Webster Square Cinemas
24 Mill Street,
Worcester,
MA
01603
24 Mill Street,
Worcester,
MA
01603
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: National Amusements
Functions: Auto Repair Shop
Previous Names: Park Theatre, Cinema 1
Nearby Theaters
A movie theatre on the outskirts of Worcester. The Park Theatre was opened February 10, 1938. It was modernised around 1963 and renamed Cinema 1. It was later twinned.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
This is a photo of the Webster Square Cinemas I took a few years ago.
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Park Theatre in Worcester. There is an exterior photo dated May 1941. The building and marquee are definitely the same as in the photos posted by Lost on Oct 26 2006. The photo posted by Gerry DeLuca on April 17 2005 appears to be the same building, modernized by demolition of the front portion and saving the rear portion with its peaked roof; then building a big new entrance. The Report states that the Park is on Mill Street, that it has been showing MGM films for 4 years; that it was built in 1937 and is in Good condition, and has 785 seats.
Was this at any time a General Cinema house? It has their style of sign letters.
It was never a General Cinema. It was originally the Park, and had a new front added, I believe in 1963.
The Park was one of the few non-downtown cinemas in Worcester. It was badly flooded in the early 1950s, and the flood control drain now runs past the edge of the parking lot. Somewhere on the building there was a marker showing the height of the flood water. Cinema 1 was Worcester’s first “modern” theater. It opened with Lawrence of Arabia. I think it was renovated and operated by Redstone. There used to be a Park Theater on Front Street, near City Hall, about where Woolworth’s was. I don’t know if was related to the Park at Webseter Square.
This building is still standing, albeit repurposed.
If you plug the location address(24 Mill Street, Worcester, MA) in Google Maps, and look at the Street View, this building is clearly visible in the background. Move down the street in Street View: You’ll be in front of Sun'N'Sound, an auto detailing/car audio business now located in the former Webster Square Cinema.
I suspect the auditorium(s) were turned into the installation bays. But it is mostly definitely this building. However, if you didn’t know that it had been a theater, there is no way of telling from appearances.
Sure looks like a GCC to me.
This web page has a photo of the entrance of the Park Theatre taken around 1955. An earlier Park Theatre in downtown Worcester was probably gone by the time this house opened in 1937.
National Amusements (Redstone Theatres) took over this house and modernized it in the early 1960s. One source said that it was called Cinema One for a while before being twinned and renamed Webster Square Cinemas.
The Film Daily of Saturday, April 9, 1938, gave the opening date of the Park Theatre as February 10.
Previous name: CINEMA I.