Castor Theatre
6631 Castor Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19149
6631 Castor Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19149
1 person
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The Castor Theatre opened in 1936 with 446 seats as a subsequent run movie house. It was built at Castor Avenue at Fashawe Street, and designed in the Art Moderne style.
The theatre closed in 1989. The Castor Theatre became a furniture showroom. It is now a 99c store.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 29 comments)
I was actually going by the news story on Channel 29, as I mentioned.
Thats from 2007. Anything from 2008?
Not yet. I was in Philly last month but the Northeast is out of my jurisdiction.
Take any photos? I’m not saying that this building isn’t being used as a 99 cent store, but we should have more current information before the function above is changed. A recent dated photo or an eyewitness account is the best source to have.
BTW….A Google search for 6631 Castor Avenue returns Fleishman Furniture. Good old trusty Googlw.
Based on how it was when I saw it last, that theater is located in a type of blindspot part of the city at this point in time. Not quite ghetto to the one extreme, no longer the proud working class community it once was to the other. And I’m not even sure the community even has a name at this point. During the daytime it’s not too bad around there, but I’m not sure how it is at night. Wouldn’t necessarily want to go find out. Back in 2006 when I took photos of it I went around into the back alley to take pictures of it from that side, and there I felt a bit uneasy. There was graffiti and an old beat-up looking van parked nearby, looking as if used regularly for illegal drug deals, the backs of tiny rowhouses to the other side of the alley. I quickly took my photos and then parted while it was still light out. Haven’t been back since. But if it’s now a 99 cent store, that sounds about right.
1983 photo of the Castor Theatre.
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The Castor had an interesting interior, kind of a forerunner to stadium seating. As I remember, while not being nearly as steep as todays stadium auditoriums, the Castors floor was very steep to the point of having steps. While the Castor apparently had the same number of seats as the Benner, I recall it feeling much smaller and cramped than the Benner.
The Castor Theatre wa the only theatre that I have ever been to in which you had to climb a full flight of steps to get to the ladies or mens bathrooms. They were at the same level as the projection room.
you need to get around more. I’ve been in quite a few theaters in which i’ve had to go up and down stairs to use the facilities.