Fairmount Theatre

Well, the last picture I saw of the theater interior in the 1990s, the ceiling plaster had collapsed from water damage. Looks like the owners have stabilized it, but it’s a long way off from being restored, and, quite frankly, it’s out of the way with no nearby parking in a congested neighborhood, so future use would be limited.

Ron you might like this more- some shots from inside the theatre at the lighting event: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/boston/hydepark/gallery/everett_square_theatre_restoration/

The theatre is in the process of trying to get restored through the efforts of Historic Boston, Inc. So far they have managed to get a recreation of the original marquee sign put in place: http://www.historicbostonblog.org/2011/11/bit-of-broadway-returns-to-hyde-park.html#more

The sign was dedicated on 1/6/12 with the mayor doing the honors. Hopefully it’s the start of a bigger preservation effort for the theatre.

In a 1918 Boston street directory, this theater, as the Everett Square Theatre, is listed at 17 Fairmont Avenue in Hyde Park. The location of French’s Opera House (now Riverside Theatre Works) at 45 Fairmont is listed as the “Masonic Block”.

According to City of Boston building department records, the multi-use commercial building originally numbered 3-27 Fairmount Avenue (now 1-11 Fairmount) was designed by architect Harry M. Ramsay in 1914 and completed early in 1915. The cost of construction was $65,000 and the 1914 building permit notes that the building was to be used for “stores, offices, and motion picture exhibition.”

The original owner and developer was the Littlefield Trust, Walter S. Littlefield, Trustee/Manager. The Littlefield Trust’s application to the City of Boston Building Department to operate the “Everett Sq. Theatre” as a “moving picture house” was approved on April 14, 1915.

A March 23, 1915, building permit seeks permission to construct a projecting sign with “Everett Sq. Theatre” spelled out in metal pan letters and bare bulbs; a historic photo exisits of the building with this sign in place. As well, a plaster cartouche in the theatre’s proscenium arch features an intertwined “E” and “S” referring to “Everett Square.”

An August 11, 1934, building permit sought to replace the original sign and marquee. While the content of the sign was not specified, this probably corresponded to the change in the theatre’s name to the “Fairmount Theatre,” which took place by 1935. This name change was likely in reaction to the rededication of nearby Everett Square (at the intersection of Fairmount Ave. and River St.) as “Joseph A. Logan Square” in 1933. “Everett Square” became obsolete.

In spite of the emphasis in the building department records on movies, it is clear that from early on the theatre also hosted live performances, music, and events of various kinds. A combination of first-run movies, double features, and cartoons along with live actsâ€"particularly those featuring local amateur talentâ€"continued into the 1940s.

The theatre was again renamed in the late 1960s, becoming the Nu-Pixie Theatre. Apparently only used as a cinema, the Nu-Pixie operated into the 1980s.

(This building has been confused in other sources with “Everett Hall,” which was a third-floor gathering and performance space in a ca. 1875 building around the corner on Rvier St., and with the Riverside Theatre Works, which is a non-profit organization running performing arts educational programming (as well as performances) at the 1897 French’s Opera House down the block at 45 Fairmount Ave.)

The information above was uncovered as part of the work of Historic Boston Incorporated’s Historic Neighborhood Centers program, which has been working with Hyde Park Main Streets in Logan and Cleary Squares since 2008. A key project identified by the HNC program is to assist the Everett Sq. Theatre’s owner and the surrounding community with planning to rehabilitate this important Hyde Park building. Jeffrey Gonyeau, HBI

To Ron Salters: you’re right, Who ever Everett was, back in the day he was somebody prominent. We’ve got an Everett street,again back in the day an Everett School,an Everett building. The square is now called Logan. Current owners have had big plans to restore this theater. God bless them for hanging on. The best years of my movie life were in this theater.

Why was it ever called the Everett Square theatre since it is not in Everett?

Ron: Not sure of exact date we closed down, will do some research. I have a ton of stuff relating to that theater. I just assumed you were from the Hyde Park area. The Fairmount Bridge closed for repairs for a year or so and that cut off traffic to that end of Fairmount Ave.

Just found this site by mistake…It’s funny I just dusted off my reel to reel and listened to one of many rock concerts I recorded at the Pixie, the first was September of 1978. I first started working there in the mid 70’s, by 79 I was the manager and then the whole building got sold. New owner had no experience running a theater. Myself and the projectionist took the theater over (premier performance) We did live shows with Riverside. A labor of love, with friends and family helping out. No money for salaries and the landlord even waived the rent to keep it open. Couldn’t make ends meet and then the bridge closed…It was over then.

In the ‘60s and early '70s this theater was known as the Nu Pixie Cinema and then the Pixie. During the late '70s and early '80s, it was rented out as practice space for bands. There use to be a lot more entries talking about it including links to some pictures of its deteriorating interior. All those entries seem to be gone now.

From what I can remember, the plaster roof collapsed from water damage in the ‘90s and the current owners would like to fix it up, but the cost is going to be more than $1 million. The owners were trying to find some grants to help pay for it, but chances are slim that the theater could attract audiences to make any kind of use work.

That is definitely the Fairmount Th.; the marquee in 1983 was actually wider than the one on the theater in 1941. I never heard of the “Premier Performance Theatre” or its usage in 1983— I wonder if this was a short-lived endeavor?

The Boston Globe of November 2, 2003 had a feature article with 2 color interior photos of the restoration project at the Fairmount. What has happened at this theatre in the 3 years since the article appeared? Nearby is another old theatre, French’s Opera House at 45 Fairmount Avenue, home of the Riverside Theatre Works. The Fairmount was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941. The Report states that the theatre has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old and in Fair condition, and has 530 orchestra seats, 250 balcony seats and 16 loge seats, total: 796 seats. (This posting replaces info in postings to this page which were somehow deleted last month.)