The 1910 and 1918 maps confirm 570 Columbia to be an address for the Winthop Hall building in addition to 572 Columbia. If it is shown as being at 570 in the 1918 directory when the directory was published is the timeframe for when the bank moved into the Winthrop Hall building as the information in the atlas is probably at least a few months older than the directory.
Ron, I was talking about the accounts that I thought were at issue here…by “I’ll gladly stand corrected” I mean better evidence from a link, photograph with date, quote from someone who worked or were a visitor to the theater with exact dates etc.
We have everything needed nailed down about the theater, I think we are arguing over nothing of substance really as we know when it closed(roughly) and when it opened(exact year) and have photos of it active from two angles, and have maps of it- for a theater that closed 82 or 83 years ago it’s history is just about covered well
By the way, if it was a garage that the Uphams would become it is in the 1933 map linked above, possibly the one with the large name scrawled across a garage and the large space next to the building next to the bank building
Within is a description: “Others have been torn down; the old site of the Winthrop-Upham’s, for example, is a parking lot adjoining The First American Bank for Savings”. The bank is the post early 70s merger name for the Dorchester Savings Bank that occupied the former Winthrop Hall building.
What I suspect happened is simply this: they made enough money to justify building their own theater nearby hence the connection to the Strand. The presence of showings after that point could be that someone else or the owner of the theater continued to lease the old theater instead of letting it lay fallow…when that no longer worked the owner gutted or sold the building and the bank moved into the former structure.
I’m going with the firsthand claim there, unless proven otherwise. To me it makes sense that the space would be used afterwards in a hot industry that saw many theaters built near or adjacent to their predecessors(Bijou/Keiths/Memorial three that ring a bell). It’s there, there’s a need, make use of it, and when it wasn’t of use renovated out of existence- as was done in downtown and elsewhere.
Another link, this time stating it was a silent movie house and shows another angle of the front including a sign for the building: View link
I am not understanding what you mean by how the Uphams fits in here…it’s already been confirmed that the building became a bank after renovations and we know that the Strand opened soon after the Winthrop Hall closed, therefore I’ll take their word that the closing and the opening are linked as it is way too coincidental that the two close and open on the same street at the same time.
How the Uphams fits into this to me is simple: it was built next door. Compare/contrast google streetview and satelite shots with the two postcard pictures of the theatre and there is more than enough space to have built the newer of the threee theaters next to the old Winthrop Hall building
According to a caption in the book “Greater Boston Fires of the 1950s and 1960s” the ballroom opened on May 30, 1913. It’s possible to assume that day and year was also the opening year for the theatre.
What year it closed or if it was still open as an active theatre isn’t mentioned…
Part of an old advertisement for the theater and subsequent businesses in adjacent properties is visible: View link
“Orient” “Bowling Alleys” and “Dancing”
I am looking at the claimed location on Google and there isn’t anything there…only a the footprint of a building. If that is the right address then the theater is long gone as of a couple of years ago
Unless there was another one on the boulevard, according to Image of America Revere book, it was located on the corner of Shirley Ave. making it the park directly across the street from the bandstand and MGH Revere health center. It was destroyed by fire on March 14th, 1960…I have seen during and after shots- it was a total loss burned down to the bare wood supports unfortunately.
A shot of the complex: View link
The theaters were “close” in that they were in the same city and actually may have been off the same trolley line(the Bathhouse Station via Beach Street line) but they were a mile and a half away from each other catering separate clientele.
The Revere catered to the locals, while the Boulevard catered to the vacationers/day trippers
The building on the extreme left is still standing. The ARL’s property and drive way takes up most of the block, the Chandler may have part of an older building in it but I highly doubt it has anythign to do with the Castle Squarehttp://www.josephhaworth.com/castle_square_theatre.htm
The address is 726, per county registry of deeds and city assessment documents and maps. It’s still there building and all- it’s not torn down, it’s crumbling in some spots but it’s still there.
The city owns the property and is trying to sell it, hopefully someone decides to save the property from demolition and renovates it: any use is better than demolition.
I went by the theater today to take some photos, and thankfully it’s still standing and still looks great on the outside. There is clearly some fire damage around the old fire escape doors and vent but it looked great for what happened to it.
The old painted sign on the wall facing Columbia Road is still intact. “Franklin Park Theatre” and “Vaudeville” are faint but legible, amazing considering their decades of exposure.
The Alfond and the Remis are being both being used for film screenings and on some days in simultaneous use for performances so unless they decide to renovate for additional storage space the Remis is going to stay open as a theater…
Most recent proposal for the property was to renovate the entire building into the new East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library…
That idea isn’t too well liked according to the reports due to the expense, however the fact that it is being eyed for a renovation period is a good sign.
Shot of the entrance: View link
Show showing the marquee and entrance from a distance from 1948: View link
The 1910 and 1918 maps confirm 570 Columbia to be an address for the Winthop Hall building in addition to 572 Columbia. If it is shown as being at 570 in the 1918 directory when the directory was published is the timeframe for when the bank moved into the Winthrop Hall building as the information in the atlas is probably at least a few months older than the directory.
Ron, I was talking about the accounts that I thought were at issue here…by “I’ll gladly stand corrected” I mean better evidence from a link, photograph with date, quote from someone who worked or were a visitor to the theater with exact dates etc.
We have everything needed nailed down about the theater, I think we are arguing over nothing of substance really as we know when it closed(roughly) and when it opened(exact year) and have photos of it active from two angles, and have maps of it- for a theater that closed 82 or 83 years ago it’s history is just about covered well
By the way, if it was a garage that the Uphams would become it is in the 1933 map linked above, possibly the one with the large name scrawled across a garage and the large space next to the building next to the bank building
I defer to the first person accounts…but I’ll gladly stand corrected if offered with proof.
Uphams Theater next door to what was the Winthrop Hall building according to this man: http://www.dorchesteratheneum.org/page.php?id=2853
Within is a description: “Others have been torn down; the old site of the Winthrop-Upham’s, for example, is a parking lot adjoining The First American Bank for Savings”. The bank is the post early 70s merger name for the Dorchester Savings Bank that occupied the former Winthrop Hall building.
1910 atlas shows the theater and building being owned by someone named Albright… http://www.dorchesteratheneum.org/page.php?id=2252
1918 shows it still owned by an Albright but the Strand built and owned by “Upham Corner Theatre Company” View link
1933 building is altered, now showing a the bank in the same structure and the Uphams Corner Theater has not yet built. http://www.dorchesteratheneum.org/page.php?id=2167
What I suspect happened is simply this: they made enough money to justify building their own theater nearby hence the connection to the Strand. The presence of showings after that point could be that someone else or the owner of the theater continued to lease the old theater instead of letting it lay fallow…when that no longer worked the owner gutted or sold the building and the bank moved into the former structure.
I’m going with the firsthand claim there, unless proven otherwise. To me it makes sense that the space would be used afterwards in a hot industry that saw many theaters built near or adjacent to their predecessors(Bijou/Keiths/Memorial three that ring a bell). It’s there, there’s a need, make use of it, and when it wasn’t of use renovated out of existence- as was done in downtown and elsewhere.
Another link, this time stating it was a silent movie house and shows another angle of the front including a sign for the building: View link
I am not understanding what you mean by how the Uphams fits in here…it’s already been confirmed that the building became a bank after renovations and we know that the Strand opened soon after the Winthrop Hall closed, therefore I’ll take their word that the closing and the opening are linked as it is way too coincidental that the two close and open on the same street at the same time.
How the Uphams fits into this to me is simple: it was built next door. Compare/contrast google streetview and satelite shots with the two postcard pictures of the theatre and there is more than enough space to have built the newer of the threee theaters next to the old Winthrop Hall building
An old postcard of the theatre http://www.oldpostcards.com/o/opr001149.html
Thanks for the confirmation…
According to a caption in the book “Greater Boston Fires of the 1950s and 1960s” the ballroom opened on May 30, 1913. It’s possible to assume that day and year was also the opening year for the theatre.
What year it closed or if it was still open as an active theatre isn’t mentioned…
http://www.dorchesteratheneum.org/page.php?id=598 A link to some history of the theatre from the Dorchester Anthenaeum…
How about that…another picture and some more info on the building.
By the way look at the bank’s side from streetview, it’s clear that the building’s shell survived but what was in there is long since demolished…
Address puts it right next door to the Upham Theatre…is it confirmed that they were two separate theaters?
Thanks for finding that, I tried for an hour to scour through it to find the information about the theatre!
A shame that the property is now just a gas station…
Address is confirmed here in the BPD police report for the year of 1919: View link
A shot of the theater entrance: View link
Part of an old advertisement for the theater and subsequent businesses in adjacent properties is visible:
View link
“Orient” “Bowling Alleys” and “Dancing”
I am looking at the claimed location on Google and there isn’t anything there…only a the footprint of a building. If that is the right address then the theater is long gone as of a couple of years ago
Unless there was another one on the boulevard, according to Image of America Revere book, it was located on the corner of Shirley Ave. making it the park directly across the street from the bandstand and MGH Revere health center. It was destroyed by fire on March 14th, 1960…I have seen during and after shots- it was a total loss burned down to the bare wood supports unfortunately.
A shot of the complex: View link
The theaters were “close” in that they were in the same city and actually may have been off the same trolley line(the Bathhouse Station via Beach Street line) but they were a mile and a half away from each other catering separate clientele.
The Revere catered to the locals, while the Boulevard catered to the vacationers/day trippers
View link A shot of the theatre.
The building on the extreme left is still standing. The ARL’s property and drive way takes up most of the block, the Chandler may have part of an older building in it but I highly doubt it has anythign to do with the Castle Squarehttp://www.josephhaworth.com/castle_square_theatre.htm
The address is 726, per county registry of deeds and city assessment documents and maps. It’s still there building and all- it’s not torn down, it’s crumbling in some spots but it’s still there.
The city owns the property and is trying to sell it, hopefully someone decides to save the property from demolition and renovates it: any use is better than demolition.
I went by the theater today to take some photos, and thankfully it’s still standing and still looks great on the outside. There is clearly some fire damage around the old fire escape doors and vent but it looked great for what happened to it.
The old painted sign on the wall facing Columbia Road is still intact. “Franklin Park Theatre” and “Vaudeville” are faint but legible, amazing considering their decades of exposure.
The Alfond and the Remis are being both being used for film screenings and on some days in simultaneous use for performances so unless they decide to renovate for additional storage space the Remis is going to stay open as a theater…
Most recent proposal for the property was to renovate the entire building into the new East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library…
That idea isn’t too well liked according to the reports due to the expense, however the fact that it is being eyed for a renovation period is a good sign.