Harwan Theatre

They are taken from the parking lot of the “Super Ultra mega CVS”, and from the pizza shop on the other side. They knocked down The Harwan Theater, “D'nicks” a corner sandwhich shop, a row of businesses and one or two homes.

CVS, Walgreens, and Eckerd all have this thing about building directly across from each other. You know about The Century that is currently an empty Eckerd, and when I was working for The Westmont Theater company, developers for CVS or Eckerd would come in periodically to check the place out. Ive even seen old theater converted into these mega drugstores. It is the strangest thing.

There is talk that the owners of The Trocadaro in Philadelphia are going to open a club at The Westmont, Im not sure if that means they are going to use the facade, or knock it down. Working there for the time I did, I know the roof is completly worthless. Both the Harwan and the Westmont are very special to me, I would hate to loss both of them.

Are those pics right? ‘Cause they sure don’t look like they’re taken from the Black Horse Pike..

I can’t believe it. I’ve recently moved to SoCal via Ohio and Florida but I grew up in Runnemede. A freakin Walgreens?! Directly across from a CVS and within a mile of another Walgreens and a host of other drugstores? We’re losing our history South Jersey. Pretty soon all we’ll be known for is Camden

IT’S GOING DOWN !!!!! The Harwan was being demolished today 1/16/2007 !!! I rode by it and there were two large construction shovels ripping down the surrounding structures. There were pieces of the roof over the lobby missing and a large hole in the wall above the marquee. I took what will probably be the last pictures of it on my camera phone. I will post them to a site shorty. Sad, very sad indeed…..

The Century in Audubon was torn down to become a Eckard, not a Walgreens…. but it doesn’t matter – the nicer pieces of the face of the Harwan were salvaged ( who owns them now I don’t know ) and soon the place will be history.

According to an article in today’s (8/15/06) Courier Post, the Harwan Theater WILL razed to make way for a new Walgreen’s! With a large CVS store under constructed across the street and another Walgreen’s less than one mile down the Blackhorse Pike what we really do not need is another drug store! What a shame!

The Walgreen’s in Audubon caused the demolition of another old theater, The Century Theater along with a theatricatical supplies store, which occupied the vacant theater building. The Audubon Walgreen’s closed approximately one year after its construction in 2003. Could it be the neighborhood did not want to support such a store?

Your voice can be heard…The Mount Ephraim zoning board and planning board is scheduled to conduct its regular meeting at 7:30 pm on Monday, August 21st at the Borough Hall, 121 S. Black Horse Pike. Please attend and let the board hear your feeling about the impending loss of another old theater. Remind them of the Walgreen’s Audubon store!

I’m wondering the same thing. still looked closed when I drove by. hopefully opening soon!

The organ was most likely removed from the theater during it’s 1970’s facelift…

FeverDog:

I found this information on the running of Rocky Horror in 1993-1994:

Harwan – Mt. Ephraim, NJ
Saturday, midnight, $5.00
Comments: One of the oldest casts in the country (15 years old), and
the only cast in South Jersey and surrounding Philadelphia area. The
Transducer Players are pictured on pages 120-121 of Sal’s 15th
anniversary book, as well as pictured on the back cover with the
eastside cinema cast. (That was just after they lost the 8th street
playhouse in the village.) Shows EVERY saturday night at midnight,
admition is still only $5.00. The theater itself is a single screen,
600 seat vaudville theater complete with stage. An average show is
150-250 people. Virgin of the week every week. Theme nights and
prizes all the time. Origonal pre-shows. Professional cast. Highest

recomendations. Phone: 609-931-8869

For more info on the Transducer Players, or to subscribe to our weekly
newsletter, (Non-profit. Just pay the postage. A stamp a week.) mail
to:
The Transducer Players
110 Warren Avenue
Voorhees, NJ 08043-1235

PS – No, I’m not a fan of this movie, I’m just trying to help others with this post.

Hey Dave, just wondering if the Harwan would be ready for a one-night rental in mid-July, and if not, if there was any way that folks can volunteer to help renovate in time

Thanks,
‘matt!

ps – this is the same “‘matt” that sent you an email about a week ago, heh

Will do—and just did.

I agree that classics on the big screen would be wonderful, but between rental rates and low-turn out they prove no profit. Since the Harwan is not a non-profit organization yet I doubt a film series will be realistically possible. I believe the new incarnation will be for small shows and celebrity performers, as that was the plan about a year ago. Shameless plug: I’ll be screening some classics outdoors on an 8 foot screen this summer as part of “The Lawn-Chair Drive In” in Northern Liberties park, Philadelphia, they’ll be screened off of 16mm film prints complete with cartoons etc… No admission costs!

Would love to see the theater from the inside and take some pics.
Went to alot of movies at the harwan in the 70’s.
I hope they fix it up.