Wynne Theatre
2001 N. 54th Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19131
2001 N. 54th Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19131
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Demolition reported to be imminent as the building is said to be too far gone to save. Hidden City Philadelphia story here. The piece says that the city took over ownership of the property this summer after the previous owners ran up $500,000 in unpaid taxes.
Here’s Friday’s Hidden City Philadelphia blog article about how current plans are on hold: http://hiddencityphila.org/2011/09/wynne-theater-plans-on-hold/
Here is a photo circa 1920s from the Irvin Glazer theater collection:
http://tinyurl.com/yfaw3l4
More on Katie Jackson, see above post-
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Much of the development of Wynnefield after the 1960s is due to the influence of the late Katie B. Jackson, born 1929. Known by the African-American community as “Queen of Wynnefield,” Jackson founded the Wynnefield Academy, a private, co-educational PK-4 elementary school in 1975. The Katie B. Jackson Development Corporation and Katie B. Jackson Senior Citizens Complex bear her name.
from April 2007 Wynnefield Residents Association newsletter
“Local Wynnefield Institutions”
The Wynne Plaza Ballroom: The Wynne or Wynne Plaza Ballroom at 54th and Arlington streets was an integral part of the 54th street business sector. It was a movie theater, then became an up-scale catering and banquet hall, and later a bingo parlor. In 1981 the Wynne was sold again to successful Wynnefield entrepreneur Mrs. Katie B. Jackson, who reopened it as a successful banquet and catering facility. It continued as a successful enterprise until after Mrs. Jackson’s death in 1993.
More recent photos at this website:
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Photo & text in book, Jewish Community of West Philadelphia:
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This photo, too, from same time:
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Photo August 2008, apparently abandoned:
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31 Jan 1953 Box Office reported that the Wynne was shuttered.
Arlington was a good choice. The address given for the Wynne Plaza Ballroom aka Wynne Plaza Caterers is 2001 N 54th Street. That maps to North 54th Street & Arlington Street. That address can be used above.
That’s where I got Arlington from. I couldn’t find the theater on Google using Wynnefield Avenue.
Actually the PAB website gives both 54th Street & Wynnefield Avenue and 54th Street & Arlington Street as a location.
Are you saying that the correct location is N 54th St & Arlington St.
This won’t map out correctly unless you substitute Arlington Street for Wynnefield Avenue. If you do that the building shows up pretty much as described above.
A Kimball theater organ was installed in the Wynne Theater in 1927.