Granada Theater
537 Commerce Street,
Bluefield,
WV
24701
537 Commerce Street,
Bluefield,
WV
24701
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The Granada Theater dates back to at least 1927 when a Wurlitzer theater organ was installed. A 1932 City Directory gives an address range of 537-543 Commerce Street for the Granada.
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
1984 Photo
What is the status of this theatre now? One of the photos shows it being a night club at one time. Also interesting to learn that a Wurlitzer was installed in 1927.
Patsy, nothing comes up for the address, as far as a business is concerned. When mapping it the building is still standing though.
Patsy: The Wurlitzer organ is alive and well and living in the Keith Albee Theater in Huntington, WV It was removed from the Granada, probably in 1970 and lived in Evansville, IN. in a private residence for nearly 30 years. In 2000 it was moved to the Keith Albee Theater where it resides today. Check out the site on Facebook: Keith Albee Theater Organ.
The last time I was in Bluefield (Nov. 2009) the Granada Theater building was still standing. The Wurlitzer organ, Opus 1790, is at the Keith Albee Theater, Huntington, WV. It would be great to restore the Cohen Granada Theater to its original splendor as an Art Deco movie house. I need to do research on the beginnings of the theater in late 1927 and early 1928. The organ was shipped from the Wurlitzer factory in November, 1927.
Granada: Thanks for the updated information on this theatre. It would be grand if this theatre could be restored for future generations and for those of us who recall the older art deco theatres when they were new and vital to so many communities. My former hometown theatre was art deco and I miss it every day.
Is this theater still around? I am in the process of buying and rehabbing the Philippi Grand and if it proves profitable I want to work on reopening other theaters in WV, KY, OH, PA, MD, and VA. There are so many wonderful old theaters with more character than any modern cookie cutter places.
The Wurlitzer factory was in North Tonawanda NY (suburb of Buffalo).
To all, the Granada Theater in Bluefield is coming back to life. The theater was bought by the Bluefield Development Authority and will be operated by the Bluefield Preservation Society. It did have a small life as a night club, but the BPS is working hard to begin restoration of the theater later on this year into both a performing arts center and cinema. I’m looking forward to seeing the reinstallation of the Wurlitzer Style EX, Opus 1790, in the next year or so.
In its life as a night club, the interior was painted and the floor leveled; however, all of that can be reversed and I’m hopeful that it will come back to life as a theater…..HOORAY! for the few dedicated members of the Bluefield Preservation Society.