No, as rsalters said, the track itself has been torn up decades ago. The Whistlestop Trail follows it, however, and is a popular hiking trail — especially for those who want to walk to Walmart while avoiding the very busy routes 2 & 4.
Ah, I figure it was on upper Broadway. The Savings Bank Block is the building next door to Reny’s, formerly the Music Hall Theatre. If it was in the Savings Bank Block, then I’m almost certain it was at 206 Broadway and that Foss leased the storefront from S.O. Tarbox.
Richard Mallet’s book “The Last Hundred Years” (a history of the town) mentioned that the storefront the Bijou was in would later be resued as the office for the power company. Jabez Currier Tarbox, who was co-owner of the Music Hall, had a brother, Samuel Orland. Samuel owned a general merchandise store next door to the Music Hall at 206 Broadway and he would later become the president of the Farmington Power Company.
The 1928 date could be right (as I said, I have no idea when it closed, other than it’s been a Renys since the ‘70s, if not earlier), but it opened long before 1913. The building was dedicated in 1882, but it actually opened in 1881. George M. Coombs was the architect and the builder was Cyrus Thomas. The year it opened, it appears to have simply been called the Opera House. Later, it became Franklin Hall (not to be confused with the current Franklin Hall at the university), and finally the Music Hall Theatre. The musical comedy “Edgewood Folks” was the inaugural show, with Sol Smith Russell performing the lead role of Tom Dilloway. Maybe they started exhibiting movies in 1913, but even that seems late to me. They were showing movies there at least up to 1924.
The old State Theatre does have I-O-O-F written on the cornice, but the Odd Fellows building is actually on Main Street. It currently houses the Upcountry Artists gallery on the ground floor and apartments above. The auditorium was on the third floor, but I don’t believe anything from it survives. So that’s strange. Maybe their membership had grown so much that they warranted a second location, but if that’s true, it didn’t last long. The building was built c1920 and it became the Broadway Theatre only four or five years later.
I remember the State Theatre well. It was originally a single screen, but at some point (long before my time), it was split down the middle and turned into two screens.
The book “Small-Town Motion Pictures” lists the opening date as 1925, but I’m fairly sure it was in business by ‘24 at the latest, as I’ve got a couple heralds advertising 1924 releases playing there. E.G. Pollard was the original manager. Harry Josselyn was the accompanist (piano). It was silent until 1930 (October, I want to say?), when a sound system was installed.
Before the Broadway opened, they showed movies across the street at the Music Hall Theatre, in addition to live performances. I’m fairly sure both venues were owned by the same person, actually.
And before that, there was a traveling movie show that made the circuit of towns on the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes railroad. Story is that they set up a tent somewhere in town (probably out on the fairgrounds, but that’s just my assumption) and exhibited a program of short films — this would have been around the turn of the 20th century.
The State closed in 1995, as I recall. I’m pretty sure “Waterworld” was the last show — at least, that’s the last film I saw there. Although “closed” might not be the right word, as it just moved down the street and became the Narrow Gauge Cinema.
I’ve no idea when the Music Hall closed, but the building is still there. It’s been a Renys for decades. (Renys is a regional chain of… I guess you might call them department stores? The Farmington one is a jumble of highly miscellaneous merchandise scattered across three floors.) It’s still largely intact — stage area, balcony, etc., all are preserved.
No, as rsalters said, the track itself has been torn up decades ago. The Whistlestop Trail follows it, however, and is a popular hiking trail — especially for those who want to walk to Walmart while avoiding the very busy routes 2 & 4.
Ah, I figure it was on upper Broadway. The Savings Bank Block is the building next door to Reny’s, formerly the Music Hall Theatre. If it was in the Savings Bank Block, then I’m almost certain it was at 206 Broadway and that Foss leased the storefront from S.O. Tarbox.
Richard Mallet’s book “The Last Hundred Years” (a history of the town) mentioned that the storefront the Bijou was in would later be resued as the office for the power company. Jabez Currier Tarbox, who was co-owner of the Music Hall, had a brother, Samuel Orland. Samuel owned a general merchandise store next door to the Music Hall at 206 Broadway and he would later become the president of the Farmington Power Company.
The 1928 date could be right (as I said, I have no idea when it closed, other than it’s been a Renys since the ‘70s, if not earlier), but it opened long before 1913. The building was dedicated in 1882, but it actually opened in 1881. George M. Coombs was the architect and the builder was Cyrus Thomas. The year it opened, it appears to have simply been called the Opera House. Later, it became Franklin Hall (not to be confused with the current Franklin Hall at the university), and finally the Music Hall Theatre. The musical comedy “Edgewood Folks” was the inaugural show, with Sol Smith Russell performing the lead role of Tom Dilloway. Maybe they started exhibiting movies in 1913, but even that seems late to me. They were showing movies there at least up to 1924.
The old State Theatre does have I-O-O-F written on the cornice, but the Odd Fellows building is actually on Main Street. It currently houses the Upcountry Artists gallery on the ground floor and apartments above. The auditorium was on the third floor, but I don’t believe anything from it survives. So that’s strange. Maybe their membership had grown so much that they warranted a second location, but if that’s true, it didn’t last long. The building was built c1920 and it became the Broadway Theatre only four or five years later.
I remember the State Theatre well. It was originally a single screen, but at some point (long before my time), it was split down the middle and turned into two screens.
The book “Small-Town Motion Pictures” lists the opening date as 1925, but I’m fairly sure it was in business by ‘24 at the latest, as I’ve got a couple heralds advertising 1924 releases playing there. E.G. Pollard was the original manager. Harry Josselyn was the accompanist (piano). It was silent until 1930 (October, I want to say?), when a sound system was installed.
Before the Broadway opened, they showed movies across the street at the Music Hall Theatre, in addition to live performances. I’m fairly sure both venues were owned by the same person, actually.
And before that, there was a traveling movie show that made the circuit of towns on the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes railroad. Story is that they set up a tent somewhere in town (probably out on the fairgrounds, but that’s just my assumption) and exhibited a program of short films — this would have been around the turn of the 20th century.
The State closed in 1995, as I recall. I’m pretty sure “Waterworld” was the last show — at least, that’s the last film I saw there. Although “closed” might not be the right word, as it just moved down the street and became the Narrow Gauge Cinema.
I’ve no idea when the Music Hall closed, but the building is still there. It’s been a Renys for decades. (Renys is a regional chain of… I guess you might call them department stores? The Farmington one is a jumble of highly miscellaneous merchandise scattered across three floors.) It’s still largely intact — stage area, balcony, etc., all are preserved.