Outten Theatre

55 Washington Street,
Snow Hill, MD 21863

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Additional Info

Previous Names: Mason's Opera House, Gem Theatre

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OUTTEN Theatre (OPERA HOUSE, GEM); Snow Hill, Maryland.

The original Mason’s Opera House was refitted for films in about 1916 by its manager F.P. Bratton (also of the Empire Theatre in Pocomoke City). It became the Gem Theatre in the early 1930’s and the Outten Theatre by World War II (sometimes misspelled as the “Quitten”.

In December, 2012, the municipality took ownership of the theatre and began again referring to it as the Opera House. (Snow Hill also had the Rio Theatre of about 400 seats, an African-American theatre on Commerce Street (currently a Masonic lodge), and the Waverly Theatre on a pier in the Pocomoke River.

Contributed by Lou Rugani

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 14, 2013 at 9:00 pm

Robin Chandler-Miles and Norma Miles book Worcester County (Google Books preview) says that Steven Mason built Mason’s Opera House in 1908. Originally three stories, with the theater on the second floor, some time before 1950 the third floor was removed.

Google Maps now calls this stretch of Washington Street Snow Hill Road, and shows the Opera House building in the 200 block. I’ve updated Street View to the location.

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