I can still see it in my head – the artificial sky, with the stars and drifting clouds. If the movie was boring, I would always look at that sky and be entertained. Also, that red velvet curtain in front of the screen. It was all so gorgeous, and I miss it to this day.
LM,
I looked at the photos, although I have lived a block and a half away from these sites for 50 years, and pass them by twice a day on my way to the train station. It still helped to take a close look at the photos. All these years I had thought that the moving company was the old Meriden theatre, not even considering it may have been the auto repair building. This has been very interesting.
Barbara
My mom spoke to a friend of hers who also remembers the Meriden being in the moving/storage building. She mentioned the small, rectangular windows, and that these were part of the projection room. Of course, not having been around to remember I can’t say who is right or wrong on this issue.
Thank you Warren. I just called my mom about this, and she is not completely sure which building the theatre was in. She did say it was extrememly small, and that you felt as though you could almost touch the walls on either side. She is going to ask around and let me know if anyone else remembers for sure.
This is interesting. There is a moving/storage company on Newtown Ave, and my Mom (who remembers) told me that this was the location of the old Meriden. Other people who remember have also told me the same thing. The building where the auto repair shop is located looks too small to have been a theatre. Is it possible that there were two theatres on Newtown Ave?
I’ve lived a block away from the site my entire life (54 years). Not that it makes me an expert, but my Mom (who unlike me actually remembers the theatre) says the building housing the moving/storage company is definitely where the Meridan (or Square) was. There has been a moving company there for as long as I can remember. I don’t know what it’s called now, but at one time it was Macray Moving and Storage. Also, judging from the architecture of this building, it definitely looks like it was a theatre. The building where the garage/auto repair shop is looks too small to have been a theatre. This is interesting, and hopefully someone else can solve the mystery.
I can still see it in my head – the artificial sky, with the stars and drifting clouds. If the movie was boring, I would always look at that sky and be entertained. Also, that red velvet curtain in front of the screen. It was all so gorgeous, and I miss it to this day.
LM,
I looked at the photos, although I have lived a block and a half away from these sites for 50 years, and pass them by twice a day on my way to the train station. It still helped to take a close look at the photos. All these years I had thought that the moving company was the old Meriden theatre, not even considering it may have been the auto repair building. This has been very interesting.
Barbara
Thanks Warren. I’m sure people’s memories are fuzzy since it was so many years ago.
My mom spoke to a friend of hers who also remembers the Meriden being in the moving/storage building. She mentioned the small, rectangular windows, and that these were part of the projection room. Of course, not having been around to remember I can’t say who is right or wrong on this issue.
Thank you Warren. I just called my mom about this, and she is not completely sure which building the theatre was in. She did say it was extrememly small, and that you felt as though you could almost touch the walls on either side. She is going to ask around and let me know if anyone else remembers for sure.
Thanks LM. I’ll talk with Mom again later and ask her how many stories the theatre was.
I found this info on the NY Dept of Buildings site regarding 21-12 Newtown Avenue:
12/27/1999 401042670 01 A1 1 X SIGNED OFF 11/15/2000 CUCICH CUCICH
-PROPOSED: CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY USE ON FIRST FLOOR TO AUTOMOBILE REPAIR
Now I’m even more confused.
This is interesting. There is a moving/storage company on Newtown Ave, and my Mom (who remembers) told me that this was the location of the old Meriden. Other people who remember have also told me the same thing. The building where the auto repair shop is located looks too small to have been a theatre. Is it possible that there were two theatres on Newtown Ave?
I’ve lived a block away from the site my entire life (54 years). Not that it makes me an expert, but my Mom (who unlike me actually remembers the theatre) says the building housing the moving/storage company is definitely where the Meridan (or Square) was. There has been a moving company there for as long as I can remember. I don’t know what it’s called now, but at one time it was Macray Moving and Storage. Also, judging from the architecture of this building, it definitely looks like it was a theatre. The building where the garage/auto repair shop is looks too small to have been a theatre. This is interesting, and hopefully someone else can solve the mystery.
The former location of the Meriden (aka Square) is now a moving/storage company, not an auto repair shop.