State Theatre

The exterior is a material called Vitrolite.

The photo from 2009 was taken before the sidewalk renovation last summer. The sidewalks in front of the theatre look really nice now. Also, if you still haven’t any photos from the interior, let me know, I’ll see if I can get some.

Lost: Yes, that is a much better photo without the trash cans. Thanks.

Patsy….I don’t know if this link was posted before but it has some history of the State Theater. It mentions that the Vitrolite was installed by the Syracuse Glass Company.

This is a working link for the Related Websites above.

“The facade was faced with Vitrolite tiles.” I haven’t seen many theatre facades with the use of these tiles. It would be interesting to research the name, Vitrolite and see what we can find. I’m sure that in the 30’s this tile was used for other business facades such as restaurants and maybe even old gas stations.

LOL

Maybe absent minded would have been a better choice.

Check this link. “Removed From National Register”. I didn’t know that a building could be removed from the National Register of Historic Places.

I took a quick look but I didn’t see any. I’ll make a note of it or I’ll forget to look. :)

Here are some photos from the 1980s

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

Photo4

As President of Theatre Historical Society of America (www.historictheatres.org) I visited the State in mid-November after reading the article mentioned above. The town has just 1600 people! Yet their dedication and commitment to their little theater should make other communities hang their heads in shame. I met some of their senior volunteer team members – all passionate, dedicated and conscientious people. The town really rallies behind the theater and works hard to support it. That little theater has flooded, burned, collapsed and been burglarized and yet each time they fix it up, dust if off and keep right on going. BRAVO!! These folks should be commended for their loving care of the State Theater!

The Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin has posted an article about Deposit’s State Theatre on their website. (The article is dated November 1, 2007, and the site apparently keeps articles on display for only seven days before they go into the pay-to-view archive.)

The story tells about the collapse of the theatre’s roof two hours after the audience had departed on a snowy night in February of 1985; the formation of a local group which purchased and rebuilt the theatre; the reopening in 1988; the fire in September, 1994, which destroyed everything but the facade and marquee; the successful rebuilding of the theatre a second time, and its reopening less than a year after the fire; the flooding of the Delaware River in June of 2006, which inundated the theatre’s stage and every row of seats; how more seats were acquired from another theatre and sufficient repairs made to reopen the State once again in September of 2006.

The article also quotes a spokesperson for the State who describes the theatre’s current condition: “Some flood damage still needs repair, we need to work on the stage curtain, the marquee needs some work, and our vintage 1937 popcorn machine broke down!”

The State’s own website appears to be defunct, but the theatre has a brief page at the Deposit Chamber of Commerce site. No events are currently listed, so I do hope the theatre hasn’t suffered another disaster since the publication of the newspaper article two days ago.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995

State Theater (added 1995 – Building – #88001020)
148 Front St., Deposit
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Lewis & Sons Construction Co., Beebe,H.L.
Architectural Style: Art Deco
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture, Work In Progress
Current Sub-function: Theater