F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
71 Public Square,
Wilkes-Barre,
PA
18701
71 Public Square,
Wilkes-Barre,
PA
18701
1 person
favorited this theater
A perfect example of an Art Moderne theater, it opened as the New Commerford Theatre on August 18, 1938, with a seating capacity of 2,047. Built as the flagship theater for the Michael Comerford chain.
By 1943, it was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc, through their subsidiary Frank Walker. Later renamed the Paramount Theatre after the 1949 anti-trust suits, it continued showing movies until 1977. Suffered a major flood with 14 feet of water in 1972. Susequent renovations stripped out the ornate lobby and many fixtures were sold.
It closed in the early-1980’s and was facing demolition, when in 1986 S.T.O,P. was able to get the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was subsequently restored and reopened as the Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.
Contributed by
Drew Taylor, David A. Litterer
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
A couple photos of the F.M. Kirby Center, Comerford Theatre.
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/wbt304.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/wbt2304.jpg
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980
Comerford Theater ** (added 1980 – Building – #80003564)
Also known as Paramount Theatre
71 Public Sq., Wilkes-Barre
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Penn-York Utilities,Inc.
Architectural Style: Art Deco, Moderne, Other
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private , Local Gov’t
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Music Facility, Theater
According to the THSA annual of the Deco theatres John Eberson there is a drawing in the Wilkes-Barre Historical Society Archives for a Paramount Theatre dated 1 May 1931.Eberson designed this building for Comerford.It is quite possible that this theatre is an altered version of his original design.
This is another photo of the F.M. Kirby Center.
Here is a larger photo of the F.M. Kirby.
F.M. Kirby Center photo
This is a July 1946 ad for the Commerford.
1968 photo of the Paramount Theatre.
View link
1986 photo of the Paramount Theatre.
View link
Thanks for the photos of the Kirby to those who posted them! I stumbled onto this site and started looking at local PA theatres (Pittsburgh), just for a lark. Then i saw this place and remembered that this was where i first met my boyfriend on that wonderful night in October 2004. Thanks for the memory!
Pictured in 1938 on a front cover of the Modern Theatre section: Boxoffice