Loew's Century Theatre
18 Lexington Street,
Baltimore,
MD
21202
18 Lexington Street,
Baltimore,
MD
21202
1 person
favorited this theater
This John J. Zink-designed theater was opened in 1921, located on Lexington Street between Charles and Cathedral Streets. Seating 1,400, the Loew’s Century Theatre was built with an upstairs ballroom.
In 1926, the ballroom was converted by John Eberson into another movie theater, the Loew’s Valencia Theatre, in the Atmospheric style. The Century Theatre featured a somewhat plain and small boxy marquee, but a huge vertical sign spelling out, originally, “Loew’s”, which was later changed to “Century”.
The Century Theatre closed during the 1950’s, and in the 1960’s, the building was razed to make way for the Charles Center, an office complex.
Any additional information/history on this theater would be appreciated.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Photos of the Century can be seen here.
According to David Naylor’s “American Picture Palaces,” the Century Theatre first opened in 1921 and was designed by architect John J. Zink in a conventional (non-atmospheric) style. The building included a ballroom above the theatre. Five years later, John Eberson converted that ballroom into an atmospheric theatre called the Valencia. Naylor reports that “A popular joke around town in 1926 was that, paradoxically, the Valencia was both the newest and oldest theater in the city (because it was ‘over a century’).”
These are 1926 interior photos of a Century Theater at 18 W. Lexington Street. Photo1, Photo2, and Photo3.
Great pictures of the LOEWS CENTURY.