Smoot Theatre
213 Fifth Street,
Parkersburg,
WV
26102
213 Fifth Street,
Parkersburg,
WV
26102
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The January 7, 1926, issue of The Film Daily said that architect Fred Elliott was drawing plans for a new theater at Parkersburg, West Virginia, for the Smoot Amusement Company. The house would be built on the site of the Hippodrome Theatre.
The 1950’s renovation of the Smoot employed a vitrolite exterior with six display cases. The two end display cases were for 40X60 posters (very expensive for the time), beside each of these display cases were identical ones, each with a 22X28 half sheet on top with four 8X10 photos underneath. On each side of the ticket booth there wer two long display cases used to display a set of 11X14 lobby cards.
The lobby of the Smoot was not impressive.
Nice photo and sign ken mc.
Here is another photo. I like the Vitaphone sign.
http://tinyurl.com/ye6asks
1981 Photo
1981 Photo
1981 Photo
1982 Photo
1985 Photo
Here is the Smoot in 1987.
This 1914 photo from Google books shows the predecessor to the Smoot. The Hippodrome showed films and also vaudeville, according to the caption.
http://tinyurl.com/6nxa8u
Here is a photo of the Smoot Theater.
The projection room at the Smoot remains intact—although the staff don’t routinely allow visitors up there. The balcony also retains original wooden seating. Perhaps the Smoot will one day screen films again. The side of the Smoot also features restored advertising for Vitagraph and Movietone.
A Moller theater organ opus 5098 size 3/14 was installed in the Smoot Theater in 1928 at a cost of $10000.00.
The Smoot was part of the JUR Theater Circuit in the early sixties. Joseph Raad was president, while Joseph S. Joseph was general manager. Besides the Smoot, JUR operated the Burwell, Parker, Mur Drive-In and Stanley Drive-In in Parkersburg, the Jur Theater in Ravenswood, the Ripley in Alpine and the Dixie Drive-In in Sandyville. Ohio theaters in the chain were the Belpre Open Air in Belpre, the Riverside Drive-In in Constitution and the Starlite Drive-In in Marietta.
Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1982
Smoot Theater (added 1982 – Building – #82001787)
213 5th St., Parkersburg
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architectural Style: Classical Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater
This is the website for the Smoot Theater.
Here is a photo from the 1940s:
http://tinyurl.com/fxkza
Old photos:
View link
The Smoot Theatre seated 913 people.