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Loews Valencia Movie Palace, now the Tabernacle of Prayer Church, hosted a rare tour this summer.
posted by
ThrHistoricalSociety
on
September 1, 2015 at 1:46 pm
The home of the Tabernacle of Prayer Church in Queens is physically divine – one of five incredible “Wonder Theatres” opened by the Loew’s chain in the NYC area in the 1920s. The enormous cinema looks where anyone would feel comfortable kicking back and watching a double feature.
Originally called The Valencia Movie Palace, the ornate theater opened in Jamaica, Queens in 1929, presenting a mix of movie screenings and vaudeville performances. Here’s an old photo of the theater walls, which are decorated like a movie set recreating a Spanish town.
Enjoy the article and photo gallery thanks to Gothamist: http://gothamist.com/2015/07/20/tabernacle_queens_movie_palace.php#photo-1
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ABOUT THEATRE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA: Founded by Ben Hall in 1969, the Theatre Historical Society of America (THS) celebrates, documents and promotes the architectural, cultural and social relevance of America’s historic theatres. Through its preservation of the collections in the American Theatre Architecture Archive, its signature publication Marquee™ and Conclave Theatre Tour, THS increases awareness, appreciation and scholarly study of America’s theatres.
Learn more about historic theatres on our website at www.historictheatres.org
Comments (3)
I wish I had known. Would have loved to have gone.
Wow! What a gorgeous theater!
Was the Valencia (note correct spelling: it isn’t “Valenica”!) by any chance a twin of the Loew’s Grand Concourse theater in the Bronx? The top photo looks almost identical to the rendering in Ben Hall’s “The Best Remaining Seats” book. And BTW, does anybody know whether that Loew’s theater in the Bronx is extant?