I thought about buying this theatre when it was for sale about six or seven years ago. It was a lot of theatre for the money but it also needed big bucks worth of improvements. The air conditioning leaked, and the men’s room looked like something from medieval times. It had already been closed for over a year when I looked at it so I was leary that everything would need to be upgraded to present codes. I remember it being larger than six hundred seats but can’t find my notes to refer to. It did have a nice size balcony. I remember the owner telling me they filled the house once with a “pay per view wrestling program”. Ah! the pre-satallite dish days.
Anyway, glad to see someone is trying to get it open again.
Hi Charles
I tried sending the pictures to you a number of times, but all my emails bounced back. Could it be that your isp is rejecting my emails? I have had a problem in the past with some places not liking primus (my server).
If you have any suggestions as to the problem, let me know.
Brian, if you read this, I have the same problem with your email address.
Richard
Hi Charles,
Sorry for the delay in sending the pictures. Please forward your email address and I’ll send the pictures within a day or two after I receive your email address. Everything is scanned in and ready to go.
Judging from the fact Andrew Karzas wrote a paragraph of information about the North Center theatre in its opening day program, an educated conclusion would be that he and borther, William Karzas owned the theatre. In just a few months after they opened their newest theatre, the North Center, they would open their newest and Chicago’s most elaborate ballroom — the Aragon. Approximately two years earlier they had opened Chicago’s Trianon Ballroom.
According to T.H.S. (Theatre Historical Society of America) the Chateau and Vogue are indeed, the same theatre. Another birthday gift included the T.H.S. info package on the Chateau/ Vogue. While there is little printed matter in the info pkg., it does contain a marvelous photo of the theatre building. What a fantastic looking building, lots of “gingerbread”. The building also contained a bowling alley. Although a copy of a printed program dated 1927, shows a sketch of the Chateau’s huge vertical with the name Ascher’s perpendicular to the sinage “Chateau” a photograph of just a slightly later vintage shows “Ascher’s” was replaced by “Trinz’s”. Probably, no doubt the theatre was purchased by the Lubliner& Trinz chain. The theatre seated 1683.
One of my birthday presents was a North Center theatre information package from the T.H.S. (Theatre Historical Society of America). Although the package doesn’t contain a lot of information, it does reveal the architect was Walter W. Ahlschlager. He designed some outstanding buildings in many major U. S. cities. His theatres can’t be over shadowed by anyone, even those built by Rapp and Rapp. Ahlschlager designed New York’s Roxy, Beacon and many others including my neighborhood theatre, the North Center. An excellent exterior photo of the theatre was also included in the info package.
Sorry for the omitted words, I guess I hit submit instead of preview. Anyway, the manager gave me the grand tour and not “gave me got the grand tour”. Another sentence should read: “Although this is the most recent theatre that I’ve viewed”, not “ … . . the most theatre that I’ve viewed”. It was far from that.
To infocats: Sorry, you need to go only to Catskill, N.Y. to find a theatre of “substance”. It’s 1500 sq. ft. stage is over 12% of the entire Fleischmanns' complex. It’s also for sale and I’ll be writing it up shortly. Anyway, good luck and I hope you get your asking price.
I only recently discovered this theatre and got to see the inside only through a fluke. I got some of the theatre’s history from the coin shop operator which occupies one of the store fronts in the theatre building. Just before I left Clearfield, I took a picture of the marquee from across the street. While taking the pictures someone standing under the marquee started waving to me. It turned out he was the manager and he gave me got the grand tour. I also got to view some vintage photo’s of the theatre. Although this is the most theatre that I’ve viewed, I’ve still got lots more to submit. So suffer you will!
Hi Jacker, the Community theatre is actully in Catskill, N.Y. I usually stay in Cairo (just a few miles away) and wrongly listed the theatre’s location in the above comment. I don’t know if the Community theatre is still for sale. You might try calling some of the realtors in Catskill. I doubt the Orpheum theatre is for sale (it’s a money maker) but then the owner is a senior and might want to retire. You might want to persue it further. A lot can change in 3 years which is when I last talked to the owner.
I saw this theatre from the outside in 1988 and 17 years later finally saw the inside. The huge balcony and connected loge seat 900 people — just a few shy of the main floor seating capacity. This production of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” wasn’t so great but the theatre was. The crystal chandelier in the auditorium is magnificent and the smaller matching one in the balcony area is also breath-taking.
Today, the State seats a total of 1850. The train ride from Manhattan to New Brunswick is only 50 minutes and well worth the trip. Hope you’ll make the effort to see this one.
As a self appointed real estate appraiser I suggest that before you buy the Fleischmann’s theatre you go look at the Community theatre in the town of Catskill, N.Y. It was for sale two years ago and might still be. The town has a population base of several times that of Fleischmann and is not too far from Fleischmann. The theatre has been twinned at the balcony and it has a lovely marquee. It has more than double the seating capacity of the the Fleischmann’s theatre. There are several store fronts and second floor offices in the theatre building complex. Oh yes, the town has had sewers for many years. The theatre was and maybe is still owned by the people who own the successful Orpheum theatre in Saugerties, N.Y. Sorry, I can’t remember the asking price but it was close to $450,000.00 Just a comment from an amateur real estate appraiser who has visited probably 700 or 800 theatres and as well personally investigated probably 40 or more that were for sale.
Have a good time in western N.Y. If you get to Batavia check out the Mancusso (sp?). Dipson sold it to a church a few years ago for big bucks. The church left pretty much everything intact and it’s lovely. Probably best to go on Sunday though, so you’ll be able to get inside.
I saw this theatre in 2002 and 2003 and I predict that at $445,000.00, this theatre will still be for sale many years from now. The only motel was converted into condo’s so I don’t think one could count on too many tourist’s admissions.
I just saw “Chase” in auditorium #1. Although the theatre doesn’t have stadium seating, the floor pitch is steep enough that the person in front of you would have to be an NBA player before your view would even begin to be obstructed. Its total seating capacity of 850 is impressive by today’s standards and the always open balcony is another nice touch. The balcony seats, I believe, 400 patrons. The curtained screen is also another nice touch. They’ve tried to incorporated some of the great features of the older theatres and I’m not sure they succeeded but it’s still a nice theatre in which to see a movie. The screen must be approximately 50 ft. wide. Two native New Yorker musicians whom I talked to after the movie stated they felt this auditorium (number 1) had “the best acoustics of any movie theatre in Manhattan”.
Yes, the theatre to which I was referring was the Shea’s Seneca. The auditorium portion was demolished but the theatre’s entry facade and vast lobby are still standing. If you didn’t have any previous knowledge of the theatre, one could {as I did} easily mistake the vast remaining lobby portion as a complete theatre. The lobby portion is now used as a warehouse by the discount store at the other end of the complex. This person might own the entire complex. The back door of the loading dock of the lobby area was open when I walked by. A worker loading a truck would not let me in to look around but stated the owner would if he was there. I could see that much of the moulded plater still remains in various stages of condition. There is another building just a few doors south of the Shea’s which looks like it could have been a theatre also. All the locals seemed to think there was a theatre there but nobody could remember its name. It supposedly closed prior to the Shea’s Seneca. Maybe, T.J. can shed some light.
Ken, I have some pictures of the exterior as it stands today. Would you like me to email them to you.
The impressive marquee that you see here is after $40,000. was spent redoing it just last year. I think I have pictures of the marquee from three years ago. Although the present marquee is quite spectacular, I felt the previous design was even more spectacular. If I ever get my photos on line, everyone can decide for themselves. All the border incandescent bulbs were replaced with more neon. Perhaps someone got tired of replacing the bulbs or does neon use less electricity? Anyway, the theatre is kept spotless and the manager, Gord, will be happy to answer all you questions about the theatre. Despite having smallish screens (can’t be avoided when you take a small theatre and split it down the middle) and the New Hampshire thing of keeping the auditorium too bright, Jax Jr is a great place to see a movie. Littleton is also a great town to visit.
Hi Charles, I’d be happy to email you some pictures. Please email me at If I haven’t emailed them to you within 3 weeks after you email me, please start hounding me. Did you ever eat at the Barbeque place in the Mode’s storefront just north of the theatre’s entrance? I never did but it always smelled good inside ( I was a very nosey kid and looked inside of almost every door that would open) and I remember it had this great looking cherry stained half log paneling. Memory tells me it closed not long after I started going ti the Mode. Where you ever inside the Essex?
When I visited the antique store a couple of years ago I was informed by the owner that the theatre closed approximately 15 years ago (that would be about 17 years ago from now) and that the theatre was coverted immediately to an antique store.
The number which I listed above is still valid. The recording states, “If you’re interested in purchasing the theatre, please leave you’re name & number.
Ken, I’m almost positive the Seneca is still standing or at least another theatre on Seneca Street is. The theatre building is large but no signage still exists. It was occupied by a dollar store two or three years ago which was the last time I past the area. While taking exterior pictures, I questioned a passer by who told me the theatre was called the “Seneca”. Anyway, soon I’ll be heading down Seneca St. and I’ll see if the address corresponds.
Joe’s no quitter so if there’s anything left after the fire, the theatre will re-open. I only hope those lovely wall sconces weren’t damaged. Looking forward to seeing you and the completed restorations this fall.
Brian, unfortunately, I can be of no help as to when the Mode got its current facade — sorry. Please let eveyone at C. T. know if it’s torn down. Sorry, I didn’t answer sooner but for some reason I didn’t get notified.
I thought about buying this theatre when it was for sale about six or seven years ago. It was a lot of theatre for the money but it also needed big bucks worth of improvements. The air conditioning leaked, and the men’s room looked like something from medieval times. It had already been closed for over a year when I looked at it so I was leary that everything would need to be upgraded to present codes. I remember it being larger than six hundred seats but can’t find my notes to refer to. It did have a nice size balcony. I remember the owner telling me they filled the house once with a “pay per view wrestling program”. Ah! the pre-satallite dish days.
Anyway, glad to see someone is trying to get it open again.
Hi Charles
I tried sending the pictures to you a number of times, but all my emails bounced back. Could it be that your isp is rejecting my emails? I have had a problem in the past with some places not liking primus (my server).
If you have any suggestions as to the problem, let me know.
Brian, if you read this, I have the same problem with your email address.
Richard
Hi Charles,
Sorry for the delay in sending the pictures. Please forward your email address and I’ll send the pictures within a day or two after I receive your email address. Everything is scanned in and ready to go.
Judging from the fact Andrew Karzas wrote a paragraph of information about the North Center theatre in its opening day program, an educated conclusion would be that he and borther, William Karzas owned the theatre. In just a few months after they opened their newest theatre, the North Center, they would open their newest and Chicago’s most elaborate ballroom — the Aragon. Approximately two years earlier they had opened Chicago’s Trianon Ballroom.
According to T.H.S. (Theatre Historical Society of America) the Chateau and Vogue are indeed, the same theatre. Another birthday gift included the T.H.S. info package on the Chateau/ Vogue. While there is little printed matter in the info pkg., it does contain a marvelous photo of the theatre building. What a fantastic looking building, lots of “gingerbread”. The building also contained a bowling alley. Although a copy of a printed program dated 1927, shows a sketch of the Chateau’s huge vertical with the name Ascher’s perpendicular to the sinage “Chateau” a photograph of just a slightly later vintage shows “Ascher’s” was replaced by “Trinz’s”. Probably, no doubt the theatre was purchased by the Lubliner& Trinz chain. The theatre seated 1683.
One of my birthday presents was a North Center theatre information package from the T.H.S. (Theatre Historical Society of America). Although the package doesn’t contain a lot of information, it does reveal the architect was Walter W. Ahlschlager. He designed some outstanding buildings in many major U. S. cities. His theatres can’t be over shadowed by anyone, even those built by Rapp and Rapp. Ahlschlager designed New York’s Roxy, Beacon and many others including my neighborhood theatre, the North Center. An excellent exterior photo of the theatre was also included in the info package.
Sorry for the omitted words, I guess I hit submit instead of preview. Anyway, the manager gave me the grand tour and not “gave me got the grand tour”. Another sentence should read: “Although this is the most recent theatre that I’ve viewed”, not “ … . . the most theatre that I’ve viewed”. It was far from that.
To infocats: Sorry, you need to go only to Catskill, N.Y. to find a theatre of “substance”. It’s 1500 sq. ft. stage is over 12% of the entire Fleischmanns' complex. It’s also for sale and I’ll be writing it up shortly. Anyway, good luck and I hope you get your asking price.
I only recently discovered this theatre and got to see the inside only through a fluke. I got some of the theatre’s history from the coin shop operator which occupies one of the store fronts in the theatre building. Just before I left Clearfield, I took a picture of the marquee from across the street. While taking the pictures someone standing under the marquee started waving to me. It turned out he was the manager and he gave me got the grand tour. I also got to view some vintage photo’s of the theatre. Although this is the most theatre that I’ve viewed, I’ve still got lots more to submit. So suffer you will!
The name of the other theatre in Philipsburg is the Majestic. It was a furniture store for a period of time but, I believe, it is now empty.
Roger, what do you think? It’s your part of the country.
Hi Jacker, the Community theatre is actully in Catskill, N.Y. I usually stay in Cairo (just a few miles away) and wrongly listed the theatre’s location in the above comment. I don’t know if the Community theatre is still for sale. You might try calling some of the realtors in Catskill. I doubt the Orpheum theatre is for sale (it’s a money maker) but then the owner is a senior and might want to retire. You might want to persue it further. A lot can change in 3 years which is when I last talked to the owner.
I saw this theatre from the outside in 1988 and 17 years later finally saw the inside. The huge balcony and connected loge seat 900 people — just a few shy of the main floor seating capacity. This production of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” wasn’t so great but the theatre was. The crystal chandelier in the auditorium is magnificent and the smaller matching one in the balcony area is also breath-taking.
Today, the State seats a total of 1850. The train ride from Manhattan to New Brunswick is only 50 minutes and well worth the trip. Hope you’ll make the effort to see this one.
As a self appointed real estate appraiser I suggest that before you buy the Fleischmann’s theatre you go look at the Community theatre in the town of Catskill, N.Y. It was for sale two years ago and might still be. The town has a population base of several times that of Fleischmann and is not too far from Fleischmann. The theatre has been twinned at the balcony and it has a lovely marquee. It has more than double the seating capacity of the the Fleischmann’s theatre. There are several store fronts and second floor offices in the theatre building complex. Oh yes, the town has had sewers for many years. The theatre was and maybe is still owned by the people who own the successful Orpheum theatre in Saugerties, N.Y. Sorry, I can’t remember the asking price but it was close to $450,000.00 Just a comment from an amateur real estate appraiser who has visited probably 700 or 800 theatres and as well personally investigated probably 40 or more that were for sale.
Have a good time in western N.Y. If you get to Batavia check out the Mancusso (sp?). Dipson sold it to a church a few years ago for big bucks. The church left pretty much everything intact and it’s lovely. Probably best to go on Sunday though, so you’ll be able to get inside.
I saw this theatre in 2002 and 2003 and I predict that at $445,000.00, this theatre will still be for sale many years from now. The only motel was converted into condo’s so I don’t think one could count on too many tourist’s admissions.
I just saw “Chase” in auditorium #1. Although the theatre doesn’t have stadium seating, the floor pitch is steep enough that the person in front of you would have to be an NBA player before your view would even begin to be obstructed. Its total seating capacity of 850 is impressive by today’s standards and the always open balcony is another nice touch. The balcony seats, I believe, 400 patrons. The curtained screen is also another nice touch. They’ve tried to incorporated some of the great features of the older theatres and I’m not sure they succeeded but it’s still a nice theatre in which to see a movie. The screen must be approximately 50 ft. wide. Two native New Yorker musicians whom I talked to after the movie stated they felt this auditorium (number 1) had “the best acoustics of any movie theatre in Manhattan”.
Yes, the theatre to which I was referring was the Shea’s Seneca. The auditorium portion was demolished but the theatre’s entry facade and vast lobby are still standing. If you didn’t have any previous knowledge of the theatre, one could {as I did} easily mistake the vast remaining lobby portion as a complete theatre. The lobby portion is now used as a warehouse by the discount store at the other end of the complex. This person might own the entire complex. The back door of the loading dock of the lobby area was open when I walked by. A worker loading a truck would not let me in to look around but stated the owner would if he was there. I could see that much of the moulded plater still remains in various stages of condition. There is another building just a few doors south of the Shea’s which looks like it could have been a theatre also. All the locals seemed to think there was a theatre there but nobody could remember its name. It supposedly closed prior to the Shea’s Seneca. Maybe, T.J. can shed some light.
Ken, I have some pictures of the exterior as it stands today. Would you like me to email them to you.
The impressive marquee that you see here is after $40,000. was spent redoing it just last year. I think I have pictures of the marquee from three years ago. Although the present marquee is quite spectacular, I felt the previous design was even more spectacular. If I ever get my photos on line, everyone can decide for themselves. All the border incandescent bulbs were replaced with more neon. Perhaps someone got tired of replacing the bulbs or does neon use less electricity? Anyway, the theatre is kept spotless and the manager, Gord, will be happy to answer all you questions about the theatre. Despite having smallish screens (can’t be avoided when you take a small theatre and split it down the middle) and the New Hampshire thing of keeping the auditorium too bright, Jax Jr is a great place to see a movie. Littleton is also a great town to visit.
Hi Charles, I’d be happy to email you some pictures. Please email me at If I haven’t emailed them to you within 3 weeks after you email me, please start hounding me. Did you ever eat at the Barbeque place in the Mode’s storefront just north of the theatre’s entrance? I never did but it always smelled good inside ( I was a very nosey kid and looked inside of almost every door that would open) and I remember it had this great looking cherry stained half log paneling. Memory tells me it closed not long after I started going ti the Mode. Where you ever inside the Essex?
When I visited the antique store a couple of years ago I was informed by the owner that the theatre closed approximately 15 years ago (that would be about 17 years ago from now) and that the theatre was coverted immediately to an antique store.
The number which I listed above is still valid. The recording states, “If you’re interested in purchasing the theatre, please leave you’re name & number.
Ken, I’m almost positive the Seneca is still standing or at least another theatre on Seneca Street is. The theatre building is large but no signage still exists. It was occupied by a dollar store two or three years ago which was the last time I past the area. While taking exterior pictures, I questioned a passer by who told me the theatre was called the “Seneca”. Anyway, soon I’ll be heading down Seneca St. and I’ll see if the address corresponds.
Joe’s no quitter so if there’s anything left after the fire, the theatre will re-open. I only hope those lovely wall sconces weren’t damaged. Looking forward to seeing you and the completed restorations this fall.
Brian, unfortunately, I can be of no help as to when the Mode got its current facade — sorry. Please let eveyone at C. T. know if it’s torn down. Sorry, I didn’t answer sooner but for some reason I didn’t get notified.