Lowes Star Theater had become the home of the Rochester Gospel Center by early 1923. By the summer of 1924, the Rochester Gospel Center moved to RBI (Rochester Business Institute which, five decades later, was the first home of Geva). See Rochester Gospel Center ads in the Democrat and Chronicle 7/5/1924 p. 17, article 6/23/1924 p. 21
The National was renamed the Sam S. Shubert Theater in 1910, opening under that name in 1910. Sam S. Shubert was the late brother of Lee and J. J. Shubert, heads of the Shubert organization (Democrat and Chronicle 8/8/1910 p. 11). The theater was renamed the Avon Theater in 1916. The patrons of the theater were polled as to a preferred name change, and Avon was most popular, probably due to the Shakespeare revival in 1916, the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death (Democrat & Chronicle 2/27/1916 p. 31).
Fires almost destroyed the theater in 1924; another fire in 1930 was arson. The theater was renamed the Capitol and extensively remodeled: the boxes and gallary removed (the balcony remained) and the building fire-proofed. The newly-renamed theater, under the management of the Comerford organization, reopened October 25, 1930 with the film “Three Faces East” (Democrat & Chronicle 9/4/1930 p. 13, 10/13/1930 p. 15, 10/24/1930 p. 16)
The last pictures shown at the Capotol were “Iron Finger” and “Call Me Dragon”, two Kung Fu movies New Year’s Eve 1979, The theater was torn down for a parking lot shortly thereafter. (Democrat and Chronicle 3/10/1980 p. 1)
The address is correct, 926 Jefferson, according to the 1935 plat map of Rochester: http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00533.htm
The orientation to the street was odd: the theater was actually at a 45 degree angle to Jefferson, and was oriented to be square with the lots on Plymouth Avenue.
It also appears on the 1926 plat map: http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00113.htm
(Also appearing: The Plymouth Theater, at Plymouth and Magnolia).
The Victoria was on the west side of South Clinton Avenue, at 37 South Clinton. The Temple Theater was two buildings to the north, across Clinton from the Lyceum Theater. The Lowe’s Rochester would have been a block to the south, the Century, RKO Palace and the Strand a few blocks to the north, and the Cook Opera House (Family Theater) two blocks to the west.
Not one of these theaters survived the Depression and urban renewal. The 1935 plat map shows the site of the Victoria as a parking lot.
Something happened to this lovely theater in early 1922. A search on “Old Fulton” of ‘photoplay" listings in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle shows Lowe’s Star screening movies through March 1922, along with the other Downtown Rochester movie theaters of the time (Victoria, Regent, Piccadilly, Rialto and Strand, and then, starting April 1922, it simply drops off. There are a few announcements of religious events at the theater in 1923-1925 and then that’s it.
The 1926 plat map of Rochester http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00077.htm
shows the Michael Stern building at the southwest corner of North Clinton and Pleasant Street, the old Masonic Temple at the northwest corner of North Clinton and Mortimer Street, and the Star Theater located between them. Looking at the picture of The Star, you can see the Michael Stern building to its right (that building still stands, as loft apartments).
The 1935 plat map of Rochester http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00465.htm
shows an empty parking lot where the Masonic Temple was, and a building to the north that appears to be a replacement (a seven story building now stands adjacent to the Michael Stern building, at 79 North Clinton Avenue). The map marks the lot as owned by the RKO Palace. The actual Palace theater is to the west, on Mortimer Street, so the Palace was not built on the site of the Star.
According to “History of Rochester and Monroe County” by William Peck (1908), The National opened Dec. 22, 1902 on the site of the old Odd Fellow’s Hall. According to “Its Showtime in Rochester”, by Donavan Shilling, the theater became Fays in 1916. That same book poinbts out that the located to the left of the theater entrance (as seen in the first picture under this heading) is the Rochester Fruit and Vegetable Company, managed by John F. Wegman (as in Wegmans).
Lowes Star Theater had become the home of the Rochester Gospel Center by early 1923. By the summer of 1924, the Rochester Gospel Center moved to RBI (Rochester Business Institute which, five decades later, was the first home of Geva). See Rochester Gospel Center ads in the Democrat and Chronicle 7/5/1924 p. 17, article 6/23/1924 p. 21
The National was renamed the Sam S. Shubert Theater in 1910, opening under that name in 1910. Sam S. Shubert was the late brother of Lee and J. J. Shubert, heads of the Shubert organization (Democrat and Chronicle 8/8/1910 p. 11). The theater was renamed the Avon Theater in 1916. The patrons of the theater were polled as to a preferred name change, and Avon was most popular, probably due to the Shakespeare revival in 1916, the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death (Democrat & Chronicle 2/27/1916 p. 31).
Fires almost destroyed the theater in 1924; another fire in 1930 was arson. The theater was renamed the Capitol and extensively remodeled: the boxes and gallary removed (the balcony remained) and the building fire-proofed. The newly-renamed theater, under the management of the Comerford organization, reopened October 25, 1930 with the film “Three Faces East” (Democrat & Chronicle 9/4/1930 p. 13, 10/13/1930 p. 15, 10/24/1930 p. 16)
The last pictures shown at the Capotol were “Iron Finger” and “Call Me Dragon”, two Kung Fu movies New Year’s Eve 1979, The theater was torn down for a parking lot shortly thereafter. (Democrat and Chronicle 3/10/1980 p. 1)
The address is correct, 926 Jefferson, according to the 1935 plat map of Rochester: http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00533.htm
The orientation to the street was odd: the theater was actually at a 45 degree angle to Jefferson, and was oriented to be square with the lots on Plymouth Avenue.
It also appears on the 1926 plat map: http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00113.htm (Also appearing: The Plymouth Theater, at Plymouth and Magnolia).
The theater was also known as the Webster Theater.
The Victoria was on the west side of South Clinton Avenue, at 37 South Clinton. The Temple Theater was two buildings to the north, across Clinton from the Lyceum Theater. The Lowe’s Rochester would have been a block to the south, the Century, RKO Palace and the Strand a few blocks to the north, and the Cook Opera House (Family Theater) two blocks to the west.
Not one of these theaters survived the Depression and urban renewal. The 1935 plat map shows the site of the Victoria as a parking lot.
The Temple was built directly across Clinton Avenue from the Lyceum Theater.
Something happened to this lovely theater in early 1922. A search on “Old Fulton” of ‘photoplay" listings in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle shows Lowe’s Star screening movies through March 1922, along with the other Downtown Rochester movie theaters of the time (Victoria, Regent, Piccadilly, Rialto and Strand, and then, starting April 1922, it simply drops off. There are a few announcements of religious events at the theater in 1923-1925 and then that’s it.
The 1926 plat map of Rochester http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00077.htm shows the Michael Stern building at the southwest corner of North Clinton and Pleasant Street, the old Masonic Temple at the northwest corner of North Clinton and Mortimer Street, and the Star Theater located between them. Looking at the picture of The Star, you can see the Michael Stern building to its right (that building still stands, as loft apartments).
The 1935 plat map of Rochester http://photo.libraryweb.org/rochimag/rpm/rpm00465.htm shows an empty parking lot where the Masonic Temple was, and a building to the north that appears to be a replacement (a seven story building now stands adjacent to the Michael Stern building, at 79 North Clinton Avenue). The map marks the lot as owned by the RKO Palace. The actual Palace theater is to the west, on Mortimer Street, so the Palace was not built on the site of the Star.
According to “History of Rochester and Monroe County” by William Peck (1908), The National opened Dec. 22, 1902 on the site of the old Odd Fellow’s Hall. According to “Its Showtime in Rochester”, by Donavan Shilling, the theater became Fays in 1916. That same book poinbts out that the located to the left of the theater entrance (as seen in the first picture under this heading) is the Rochester Fruit and Vegetable Company, managed by John F. Wegman (as in Wegmans).