The Facebook page “CSI: Lynn” has a photo of it in operation, and based on the picture the building doesn’t look the same but the key is the façade: the masonry on the front isn’t as old as the building, which tax records state as being from 1880. Plus the aerial shot on google maps shows it to have a large area in the rear that would naturally house the theater itself- which means it’s still extant, just heavily altered!
Ron you might like this more- some shots from inside the theatre at the lighting event:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/boston/hydepark/gallery/everett_square_theatre_restoration/
The theatre is in the process of trying to get restored through the efforts of Historic Boston, Inc. So far they have managed to get a recreation of the original marquee sign put in place: http://www.historicbostonblog.org/2011/11/bit-of-broadway-returns-to-hyde-park.html#more
The sign was dedicated on 1/6/12 with the mayor doing the honors. Hopefully it’s the start of a bigger preservation effort for the theatre.
cut/paste the link, it’s a direct link to a large view of the photo…the one on page three is another theatre.
It’s definately part of the Hub in the far left, the entrance there leads to one of the first floor stores and just out of view above would be the decorative brickwork
A shot of the marquee early in its lifetime when it was showing live acts… http://billnoonanfirefotos.smugmug.com/Historicphotos/real-old-days/17392592_ZGP4wR#1347522527_Q6RfD92-O-LB
Partial view of the building taken roughly 1898/1899: http://billnoonanfirefotos.smugmug.com/Historicphotos/real-old-days/17392592_ZGP4wR#1328322578_NqLmRXP-L-LB
the only actual thing left in the shot is the closed off stairway going down to the Blue Line platform that the guy is sitting on- the stairs are still there from the platform but may not be in service as an emergency exit anymore.
Here’s a shot of the plaque which includes an old photo of the theatre when it was in use as a Masonic Temple… http://www.cinematour.com/picview.php?db=us&id=72755
David Kruh’s “Always Something Doing” has pictures on pages 22 and 27 gives the clear answer to the when it was built: it wasn’t original to when Tremont Row was first built, it was a later tear down/rebuild along with a few of the other buildings on that block.
An article from one of the Boston Globe about the 1917 fire from the Boston Fire Historical Society:
http://www.bostonfirehistory.org/newspaperfire02211917.jpg
According to the marker on the building(Bostonian Society’s plaquard?), the building was built in 1892 and was for decades the Masonic Temple. This confirms that the building in the linked maps is indeed the same building as theatre being discussed.
The building received a massive renovation in 1975 being turned into an apartment complex. This same renovation demolished the old Masonic Temple interior including the space in which the theatre lay. The plaque is visible on Goggle Streetview for anyone interested, although it’s unreadable.
I am not sure about anything else in the photo but the lack of a stairway across the street from the theatre is the giveaway that it’s pre-opening…great eye Ron.
Thanks for looking Ron. I found some information on it as being on the corner of Second Street and Chestnut Street playing a role as a relief station and church after the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908.
If it showed movies please do the honors to it’s history and add it as a new listing.
Arcadia’s book is online as of this evening Mr. Salters…
Page 76, the Grand Opera House in the flesh…and barely visible two buildings down is the side of the Hub Theatre(no clue what it was at the time).
Page 78 shows the picture Mr. Salters was talking about and I mentioned before, the front stairs to the theatre. I thought it was later but it is clearly pre-1900.
Page 82 bottom picture: I referred to this before but there is a picture of the corner of the theatre when it was called “New Grand”
…and the aforementioned picture of the theater from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSI.LYNN/posts/337401506362106
The Facebook page “CSI: Lynn” has a photo of it in operation, and based on the picture the building doesn’t look the same but the key is the façade: the masonry on the front isn’t as old as the building, which tax records state as being from 1880. Plus the aerial shot on google maps shows it to have a large area in the rear that would naturally house the theater itself- which means it’s still extant, just heavily altered!
Ron you might like this more- some shots from inside the theatre at the lighting event: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/boston/hydepark/gallery/everett_square_theatre_restoration/
The theatre is in the process of trying to get restored through the efforts of Historic Boston, Inc. So far they have managed to get a recreation of the original marquee sign put in place: http://www.historicbostonblog.org/2011/11/bit-of-broadway-returns-to-hyde-park.html#more
The sign was dedicated on 1/6/12 with the mayor doing the honors. Hopefully it’s the start of a bigger preservation effort for the theatre.
cut/paste the link, it’s a direct link to a large view of the photo…the one on page three is another theatre.
It’s definately part of the Hub in the far left, the entrance there leads to one of the first floor stores and just out of view above would be the decorative brickwork
A shot of the marquee early in its lifetime when it was showing live acts… http://billnoonanfirefotos.smugmug.com/Historicphotos/real-old-days/17392592_ZGP4wR#1347522527_Q6RfD92-O-LB
Partial view of the building taken roughly 1898/1899: http://billnoonanfirefotos.smugmug.com/Historicphotos/real-old-days/17392592_ZGP4wR#1328322578_NqLmRXP-L-LB
A shot of it in the background… http://billnoonanfirefotos.smugmug.com/Historicphotos/Classic-black/17770084_pwfQXh#1357223494_MwfCWn7-O-LB
This is a wider shot of the theatre…
http://dome.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.3/35057/KL_001415_cp.jpg?sequence=2
the only actual thing left in the shot is the closed off stairway going down to the Blue Line platform that the guy is sitting on- the stairs are still there from the platform but may not be in service as an emergency exit anymore.
Here’s a shot of the plaque which includes an old photo of the theatre when it was in use as a Masonic Temple… http://www.cinematour.com/picview.php?db=us&id=72755
David Kruh’s “Always Something Doing” has pictures on pages 22 and 27 gives the clear answer to the when it was built: it wasn’t original to when Tremont Row was first built, it was a later tear down/rebuild along with a few of the other buildings on that block.
An article from one of the Boston Globe about the 1917 fire from the Boston Fire Historical Society: http://www.bostonfirehistory.org/newspaperfire02211917.jpg
According to the marker on the building(Bostonian Society’s plaquard?), the building was built in 1892 and was for decades the Masonic Temple. This confirms that the building in the linked maps is indeed the same building as theatre being discussed.
The building received a massive renovation in 1975 being turned into an apartment complex. This same renovation demolished the old Masonic Temple interior including the space in which the theatre lay.
The plaque is visible on Goggle Streetview for anyone interested, although it’s unreadable.
A 1914 map from the Register of Deeds' website shows the buildings next door to be 102 and up so it’s somewhere lower than 100 Revere Beach Blvd.
The one on Washington Street in Boston, which was converted from a preexisting building…
Just followed the trend set by the first big vaudeville theatre: the Bijou
Since Mr. Salters mentioned Fred Allen…a shot from that timeframe from the Bostonian Society’s collection View link
View link
Probably the same 1916 photo from almost three years ago but the Bostonian Society states it too is from 1916 so it’s 1916.
And frankly I doubt it was built into an existing building
I am not sure about anything else in the photo but the lack of a stairway across the street from the theatre is the giveaway that it’s pre-opening…great eye Ron.
Thanks for looking Ron. I found some information on it as being on the corner of Second Street and Chestnut Street playing a role as a relief station and church after the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908.
If it showed movies please do the honors to it’s history and add it as a new listing.
The Chelsea Scenic Temple- was that listed with an address or simply “Broadway Chelsea” or just “Chelsea”
Arcadia’s book is online as of this evening Mr. Salters…
Page 76, the Grand Opera House in the flesh…and barely visible two buildings down is the side of the Hub Theatre(no clue what it was at the time).
Page 78 shows the picture Mr. Salters was talking about and I mentioned before, the front stairs to the theatre. I thought it was later but it is clearly pre-1900.
Page 82 bottom picture: I referred to this before but there is a picture of the corner of the theatre when it was called “New Grand”
Arcadia’s may have been later than 1895, it had the El in the way so only the front entrance below the tracks was able to be shown.
It was back to being “Masonic Hall” by the 1912 map(plate 25): http://www.suffolkdeeds.com/Charlestown_1912.asp
Link says Charlestown but it’s both Charlestown and East Boston.
http://www.suffolkdeeds.com/east_boston_1901.asp
Plate 16, a 1901 map of the neighborhood from the Suffolk County Register of Deeds website- the building that housed the theatre.