Pimlico Theatre
5132 Park Heights Avenue,
Baltimore,
MD
21215
5132 Park Heights Avenue,
Baltimore,
MD
21215
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Designed by architect John R. Forsythe, the Pimlico Theatre opened in 1914 and when it opened this was an outlying area, not yet within the city limits. It was near the famous Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness Stakes. The Pimlico Theatre was the only theatre for miles when it was built, originally it could seat 600 but was expanded (again to the designs of John R. Forsythe) to seat almost 1,000 in 1922.
It was remodeled in 1935 by architect John F. Eyrling.
The neighborhood started to fall apart in the 1960’s but the Pimlico had already lost a lot of business to the neighboring Uptown.
The building is almost impossible to spot today, with a formstone stone covering the facade. The building has been used as a bargain store and a laundromat. The Pimlico Theatre is about three blocks south of the Pimlico Race Track.
Contributed by
Charles Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The Pimlico closed in 1952. The competition from the Uptown and the new-fangled television was probably too much for the older theatre. During the 50’s through the ‘70s Read’s, the local retail chain drug store, was its replacement. Remember the old drug stores with their luncheonettes? Read’s had about everything, including well-stocked paperback books and comic books sections. Paperbacks and comic books were small change compared to today’s prices.
Photos of the Pimlico Theater can be seen here.
A Moller organ Opus 3449 Size 2/11 was installed in the Pimlico Theater in 1922 at a cost of $6000.00.