State Theatre
39 E. Main Street,
Newark,
DE
19711
39 E. Main Street,
Newark,
DE
19711
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The NRHP nomination form for the State Theatre says that it opened in May, 1929. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The State Theatre was built by Louis Handloff, who had operated a small theater on Main Street called the Hanark for several years. He closed the Hanark Theatre when the State opened. Handloff also bought the Newark Opera House, an 1885 theater that sometimes showed movies during the silent era.
An organization called Video Americain says that they operated the State Theatre as a repertory cinema from 1979 until mid-1986.
clockwork orange showed here in Summer of 1980…
Nice picture.
The State was built around 1935 & fitted out for vaudeville as well as movies. It was a handsome house, but lack of maintenance put it in physical decline by the Seventies. Under David Bartholomew, and then Barry Solan, it played great films through the early Eighties. There were also live stage shows, including George Thorogood several times. Through some pretty crappy real estate machinations it was allowed to go vacant & deteriorate further before being torn down. The site sat vacant for years as the “Field of Dreams” before a mini-mall went up. Another loss for Newark, which never really seemed to care about its historic buildings anyway.
My grandfather, William Clancy was the manager of the State Theatre in Newark for at least 30 years. My dad said he remembered seeing the famous cowboys of the time with their horses on stage at the State Theatre.
There is another 1981 photo on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/n5hdjh
1981 photo of the Statte Theatre.
View link
I made the drive several times down from Wilmington as a high-school student in the late-‘70s, early '80s to catch revival fare. I believe I saw A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and CASABLANCA there, as well as several midnight showings of Rocky Horror. Yeah, I remember seeing preview after preview for THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, typical college student fare for a revival house. Was there an oculus in the facade of the theater or the interior? Maybe I’m just remembering a round art-deco mirror in the interior. I believe the State was the sole revival house in Delaware at the time ('70s-'80s).
The State was quite popular with the college students. From time to time, I remember seeing music acts being presented. (I believe I saw the Kiss Clones playing there one night. I am not certain, but I believe there was some sort of skylight system over top of the stage that had been painted black in later years.
The theatre was closed and there were two mysterious arson related fires, with the second fire creating enough damage to “justify” tearning down the popular landmark.
I love it! Great picture…I bet my mom went there around this time (she was around 10 then)…it is a real shame that a group didnt take an interest and try to refurbish the theatre…
Here is a photo circa 1950:
http://tinyurl.com/6esw8o
Thanks for the info…It really stinks that it was torn down!
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
State Theater *** (added 1983 – Building – #83001405)
39 E. Main St., Newark
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architectural Style: Classical Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
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