Goodwill Theatre
32 Willow Street,
Johnson City,
NY
13790
32 Willow Street,
Johnson City,
NY
13790
2 people
favorited this theater
Built in 1920, this theatre thrived, two blocks from my home, when I was growing up in the 1950’s and early-1960’s. I remember going there a lot.
In 2010, an ongoing renovation continues to convert the theatre into a perfoming arts venue, which will be revert back to the Goodwill Theatre name.
Contributed by
James F. Macumber
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Recent comments (view all 19 comments)
I saw DIRTY HARRY in that Theatre back in the 70's
It was the only time I ever went there. The reason I remember it????? I got a parking ticket for parking near the fire station in a NO PARKING ZONE!!!! Didn’t even see the darn sign!
I’m so glad that it wasn’t torn down. It is truly a Village treasure!
Enjoy this 1987 Photo.
I did ENJOY it Lost Memory.
Are there ANY plans to save this once great theatre??!!!
C'mon Johnson City, site of my High School Graduation—————-LET’S GET ON THE BALL AND TRY TO SAVE THIS STRUCTURE!!
Once it’s gone, you will lose YET another piece of your once proud history!!!!!!!!
The architect of the Goodwill Theatre was Sanford O. Lacey, then a partner in the firm of Lacey, Schenck, & Cummings. The Goodwill Theatre was built in 1920, and was designed in the Georgian Revival style (a subset of the Colonial Revival style.)
Although the house operated for decades as the Enjoy Theatre, it is now under renovation as part of a project that will include three performance halls as well as other arts facilities, all to be operated by The Goodwill Theatre Inc. (official web site.)
So far, the only performance space in operation appears to be the Firehouse Stage, located (of course) the the town’s former firehouse, at the other end of the block from the Goodwill Theatre. I can’t find anything on the web site about how the renovation is proceding, or when the theater might be expected to open.
I like Lost Memory’s picture with the marquee from 1987. Looks like a solid structure. I’m a bit confused with their website. The theater is in Johnson City, but they also mention Binghamton, NY. Is that the nearby town that is helping with the renovation?
Binghamton is the largest city in Broome County, and the county seat. The office of Sanford O. Lacey, architect of the Goodwill Theatre, was in Binghamton. Johnson City, despite its name, is classified under New York law as an incorporated village, and is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
I’m working on an article about the Goodwill – would like to hear any comments, memories, interesting stories about the theater. Please email me at: rl(at)nysLandmarks.com.
Treasures of the Tier
My family lived behind the Enjoy Theater on Broad st. In the late 40’s & early 50’s my brother & I would walk to the Enjoy to see our favorite movies like the Lone Ranger & Hop A Long Cassidy. Once I became a teenager my friends & I would be at the Enjoy every Friday night with the expectation of sitting with a boy friend. Hopefully he would dare to put his arm around you. We weren’t the best behaved kids at this point & the usher would shine his light in your face & threaten to throw you out if yhou didn’t straighten up. We had alot of good times at the enjoy & I’m thrilled that it’s being restored. It is a historical land mark in Johnson City.
Pretty sure I remember this theatre being open at least into the early ‘70s.