Heights Theater
159 Washington Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11201
159 Washington Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11201
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Showing 1 - 25 of 39 comments found
I think the el to the left was torn down by the late 40’s, so this is older than that.
Here’s an undated exterior view of the Heights Theatre: View link 366
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 1375 style 135 was installed in the Heights Theater on 6/28/1926.
Ah, so this is where we were talking about the “second” Madison Theater.
I was finally able to decipher the owners name on the 1928 C/O. It was David Hauser.
A C/O was issued for a new building at this address on January 11, 1928. Purpose of building is an 834 seat motion picture theater. Architect was Herbert J. Krapp.
Pretty cool. Thanks….I still say we should have moved this conversation over to the RKO Bushwick page a bunch of posts ago, but anyway, I’m glad the confusion was solved….although it must have been a pretty small theater!
CJDV…..I’m not annoyed in the least. You provide valuable info on theaters that I could never find on my own. If I didn’t believe that the Madison existed, I wouldn’t have spent the time trying to make it fit. Yes, the SRO comment was a joke. When I add the smiley face :) I’m joking. Sometimes these posts are taken the wrong way. I never disrespect people on here unless their messages warrant it. Anyway, back to the Madison/Bushwick theaters. I would have thought that the Madison was built first and its presence was the reason that the Bushwick theater didn’t occupy the entire block. Its difficult to understand the logic that these theater owners used almost a hundred years ago. The address was the main problem. I could not understand how a building with an address range such as that could fit into that small of a space. Basically we were trying to squeeze a building that needed seven lots into a three lot area. Now it fits. Thanks.
The Bushwick was built first. The Madison opened in September 1914. After looking at the address and reading your responses, I realized the problem. This appears to be an early typo from whatever publication I got the original information from. It must have been 1410-1412. The newspaper ads only say Broadway and Madison. Don’t have a seating capacity. In my posting, I was just trying to present some information on this movie house. The theatre fits quite snugly in the triangle shown your above photo. If there was anyway I could get the newspaper photo to you, I would do so. You seemed to be annoyed or was the SRO a joke? Once again my apologies if I caused any offence.
CJDV…..I never doubted that the Madison theater existed. I even said that it was most likely named after Madison St. I was just trying to find a place to put it. It had to be in the fenced in area in the photo posted a few messages up. Which theater was built first? The address is still out of range unless the street next to the fenced in area didn’t exist at that time. 1410-1422 would take up almost seven lots and would bring the Madison theater out into the street in the photo. Do you want me to add the Madison Theater? Did it have any seats or was it SRO? :)
Lostmemory & Bway;
Sorry for the delay in responding but suddenly I found myself swamped with work and various projects. Will now explain the Madison.
Operated by B. F. Keiths,The Bushwick was a top vaudeville house in 1910s. There is a large ad in The Weekly Chat for September 26, 1914 listing “the only theatres in Brooklyn owned and operated by the B.F. Keith Co.”. At the very bottom corner is the Madison, Broadway & Madison, “magnificent theatre devoted to photoplays, the best in films and high grade features.” Basically Keith’s had just opened a small movie house in back of their Bushwick. Still not convinced? Still unsure?
Check The Weekly Chat for March 13th, 1915. Not only is there an article on the Madison but a photo as well. The most impressive thing about this two story theatre is the electric signage on front. The Bushwick can be seen looming in the background. The article gives the location of the Madison as “Broadway and Madison Street, adjoining the Bushwick.”
In addition;“ The beautiful little house is devoted to the highest class photoplays and the marvelous clearness and softness of the pictures shown proves the value and success of the gold fibre screen used in this house.”
B.F. Keith’s seems to have sold this theatre by the end of 1915. It still advertises but not as a B.F. Keith’s house. In the summer of 1916 it was given a complete renovation. The Madison is listed as closed in 1924
Is it possible that the address for the Madison theater has a typo and it should read 1410-1412 Broadway? 1410 Broadway places this theater on Broadway at Madison St. I guess thats where the name Madison theater comes from. 1410-1412 would occupy two lots and just barely fit next to the Bushwick theater. 1410-1422 Broadway would be a rather large building about the size of the Bushwick theater itself. Two theaters that size will not fit on that block. The Madison could not be touching the Bushwick theater since the Bushwick has windows on that side of the building. That indicates an alley between the two buildings which means even less property for the Madison theater. If you look at the following photo you will see a fenced in area next to the Bushwick theater. That small area is where the Madison theater should have been located.
http://www.disassociate.com/broadway_bk.jpg
Of course you know what the theater looked like in 2002 though compared to now! Ironically, on exactly April 1, 2003, I took this photo of the RKO Bushwick, construction had just begun, and the value already raised by that date:
Click here for photo
By July 2003, the building was almost unrecognizable when I took this photo:
Click here for photo
Perhaps this conversation should be moved over to the RKO Bushwick.
So far this Madison Theater has me stumped. Do you know what years this theater was operating? This is the property report for the Bushwick Theater which has a build date of 1911 which I believe is also the year that it opened. If the Madison Theater was located next to the Bushwick, it should be an even older theater.
1396 Broadway, Bushwick, New York 11221
Block & Lot #: 01482 – 0001
Building Class: Miscellaneous Theatre (J9)
School District: 16 map/schools
City Council District: 41
Police Precinct: 81 (Crime Statistics)
Political Contributions: search
BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS
Zoning R6
Building Size (F x D): 125.00ft x 200.00ft
Lot Size (F x D): –
Building Height: –
Total Gross Area of Building:
Year Built: 1911
Historic District?: No
Corner Lot?: No
Has Garage?: No
Number of Floors: 4
Units: 0
FAR as built: 1.07
Allowable FAR: 2.43
Jun 01, 2005 $11,200,000
May 01, 2004 $10,260,000
Apr 01, 2003 $3,274,000
Mar 01, 2002 $200,000
Feb 01, 2001 $200,000
1 Market value obtain from the NYC Department of Finance
Look at the increase in value in four years. If you bought this property in 2001 or 2002 you would be rich now!
The Luna has landed. I just finished adding it. As far as the Madison goes, it depends on what years it was located there. Also, was that street next to the triangle always there or could a building have stood there before the street was added.
That address is no longer valid. The first even number address in that area is 1396 Broadway. The next even number shows as 1434 Broadway. Like you said, whatever was there is long gone.
Lost, there is only a small area next to the RKO Bushwick (which is now a little courtyard for the school the Bushwick is now), so if there was something there, it’s long gone It’s a very small trangle shaped block that the RKO was/is on (where mapquest says 1410 is). I can’t picture what is on the next block to the east of there, between Madison and Putnam, but on the east side of Putnam (and Bway) are very old recently refurbished tenaments.
CJDV…Thanks for all the info. Since the Brighton Theater is already listed on here, I’ll leave that theater alone. Another Madison Theater? Give that one to Bway. Broadway is his territory. :) I’m going to check out the property for 211 Columbia Street and see what I can find. I’ll add the Luna Theater right after I do that.
???
1410-22 would put this right next to the RKO Bushwick Theater (1396 Broadway) according to mapquest. I don’t ever remember reading about a theater there, and there even isn’t that much room next to the RKO Bushwick. Although mapquest is not always accurate on exact blocks.
I would love to know more.
Hmmmm, what is this Madison on Broadway in Brooklyn? Inquiring minds want to know!
(You see the name on my screen name here, and it’s not meant for “the great white way”, so….)
lostmemory…Three items
1) It really isn’t that odd to find two or more theatres that close to each other. Check out Fulton and Rockwell Place where there were four. Or the Madison at 1410-22 Broadway, Brooklyn.
2) The Brooklyn Eagle predicted a vaudeville war—with audiences to benefit—when the New Brighton Theatre opened June 1909 in competition with the established Brighton Beach Music Hall (op. 1892-dem. 1924). In the mid-30s, the “New” was dropped from its name and as the Brighton Theatre can be found on Cinema Treasures.It is a bit mis-leading when refering to it as “the second Brighton theater.” Bascially there was the New Brighton Theatre at 3101 Ocean Pkwy and the Brighton Beach Music Hall at 3105 Ocean Pkwy.
3)I believe you asked about the Luna at 211-213 Columbia Street, Brooklyn. It opened in 1914 as the Auditore Maurice Theatre. At some point, in the 1910s, became the Luna and closed in 1952. Seating capacity 559.
150 Wadsworth Avenue has a build date of 1914. The building still exists. The build date matches the 1914 Directory. I guess that would also be the opening year.
CJDV….Thats the list that I was talking about. From what I understand, the 1926 FDYB is one source for that list. I guess that the Heights theater on that list could very well be the one in Manhattan. Since there is only one Heights theater on that list they don’t give a street name.
As far as the Heights and Washington Theaters both being on Washington Street, I have no way of telling if they were next to each other or was there another building located between them. Its not really that important. I just found it odd that two theaters would be that close together. I’ll add the Washington Theater now.
I found a photo of a Reisenweber’s Casino and New Brighton Theater located on Ocean Parkway and Surf Avenue. The photo is supposed to be from 1912. Do you know if the New Brighton Theater was ever a movie theater? The photo is here:
View link
An oops. After checking Google and my road atlas, I realize that the other Heights Theatre (mentioned above 1925) was in Manhattan not the Bronx. 150 Wadsworth, seating 600. It is listed in the 1914 Directory (didn’t check earlier yet) and also the 1947 FDYB.
Yes we are talking Washington Street and not Avenue. Both the Heights (159 Washington Street seating 885) and the Washington (153 Washington Street seating 400) are listed in the 1927 and 1929 FDYBs.