Northfield Drive-In
981 Northfield Road,
Hinsdale,
NH
03451
981 Northfield Road,
Hinsdale,
NH
03451
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Atlas Obscura weighed in on the Northfield with a few photos and the explanation for its cross-border location. Owner Carl Neilman “wanted to be in Massachusetts, but didn’t want to have to pay two union projectionists (the minimum required by Massachusetts law) every night. To avoid this, the Northfield Drive-In was built with its projection booth and snack bar in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, while also partly in Northfield, Massachusetts.”
The article added that a hurricane destroyed the screen in 1951, and its replacement is still used today. “The Cider House Rules” used the Northfield as a filming location in 1998.
The Northfield Community Drive-In Opened On August 3rd, 1948.
I had always read that the Northfield straddled the border, but Google Maps shows the entire view field, screen and driveway on the NH side. Maybe the total acreage stretches into MA? Or Google Maps' border is wrong.
In the Theatre Catalogs, the Northfield first appeared in the 1949-50 edition as the Auto Th (later Auto DI) in Northfield MA, owner C. (Carl) Nilman, capacity 300, and it stayed like that through 1956.
The 1952-53 Motion Picture Almanac also listed “Drive-In” in Northfield MA, C. Nilman, 300. For the 1955 edition, it changed to the Auto Drive-In, keeping everything else, and stayed that way through 1966.
The 1969-76 MPAs listed the Northfield Community in Northfield MA, capacity 400.
The 1982-88 MPAs listed the Northfield Drive In in Winchester NH, owned by Shakour, capacity 220. (The drive-in is closer to Winchester than Hinsdale as the crow flies, though the drive is a little longer.)
The drive-in’s history page says the Shakour family bought it in 1967, and that Mitchell Shakour is the current owner. And I wrote in 2014 that the Northfield ended its season that year with a wedding.
The DI had a break in 7-19-16. Here are the details of the break in and what was stolen.http://www.recorder.com/Northfield-Drive-In-looking-for-candy-thieves-3582419
When the Northfield Drive-In opened this year they opened with digital projection. Read more on their website.
Seems like it is two different states,Property Taxes must be a pain the rear.
The theater is actually ½ in Northfield MA and ½ in Hinsdale, NH. Not Vermont.
This drive-in appeared in the film “The Cider House Rules”.