Haven Theatre
80-16 Jamaica Avenue,
Woodhaven,
NY
11421
80-16 Jamaica Avenue,
Woodhaven,
NY
11421
7 people
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The Forest Park Theatre opened in 1913. It was closed in 1936, but re-opened in 1938 as the Haven Theatre. This neighborhood double feature house made it into the 1980’s, closing with Berry Gordy’s “The Last Dragon”.
Contributed by
RobertR
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Recent comments (view all 125 comments)
Here’s a google street view of the old Haven….now Liberty Dept Store.
View link
For those of you “Woodhavenites” that are interested go onto Facebook and there is a Woodhaven group. It’s great! What a walk down Memory Lane. Come and chat for a while.
Maryellen
Does anyone have a build date for the Haven? The January 27, 1920, issue of the trade journal Brick and Clay Record says that the Hay-Walker Brick Company had a contract to supply “…60,000 rough red texture brick for a new theater building at Woodhaven, L. I., and for which Carlson & Wiseman, 226 Henry Street, Brooklyn, are architects.” If the Haven opened in 1920, chances are it was the theater designed by Carlson & Wiseman.
The only other possibility among Woodhaven houses listed at Cinema Treasures is the Roosevelt Theatre, for which Warren gave an opening date of May 7, 1921. If construction was delayed, there could have been a gap of more than a year between the brick order and the opening of the theater.
I have a record of the Forest Park/Haven Theatre(1938) with 450 seats, located at 80-16 Jamaica Avenue which was built in 1913. Later it became the Liberty Department Store.
Ironically, the other Liberty Department Store is in Ridgewood, and that one is in the former Madison Theater.
Great Stories to read.Especially about “PLAY MISTY FOR ME” thanks for the stories.
If this house was built in 1913, then it might be the Roosevelt that was designed by Carlson & Wiseman. Or it might be another theater not yet listed.
My sister lived at 75 Grant Avenue between Jamaica and Etna. I used to go to her place and hang out. Many times we passed this movie theater and darn I wish I had gone in. I can’t remember when it closed but I still kick myself that I never went in.
Here’s a photo of the Haven from the net:
http://viewoftheblue.com/photography/woodhaven/nyc4.jpg
The title on the marquee, which is a film that was actually titled just “Prophecy” (not “The…”), would date the photo to mid-1979. The film opened June 15th, that year.