Princess Theatre
499 N. Clinton Avenue,
Trenton,
NJ
08638
499 N. Clinton Avenue,
Trenton,
NJ
08638
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Opened November 12th, 1914. Ad already posted. Closed 1952.
The Rialto was located by the Trenton Battle Monument and Pennington Avenue (Route 31). It was a theater that required the projectionist to climb up a ladder to into the booth. Safety last? Anyway, both the Princess (North Clinton Avenue) and Rialto locations are vacant today (2020).
From the Trenton Times April 12, 1914, Charles Hildinger (my husband’s great-uncle, awarded the contract for the construction of the Princess Theatre to Mayer & Margerum to be completed within 90 working days. The architect was Osborne Hunt. It did not actually open until Thursday, November 8, 1914. The headline attraction was “413.” It had 900 seats, orchestra pit, fine ventilating system, and ten exits.
Picture from 1975. Identified as the Rialto, but the street sign matches the Princess’s address.
The function should be changed to demolished.
Listed on page 137 of the 1925 Trenton City Directory under “Theatres and Moving Picture Houses”. Address not given.
Listed on page 1072 of the 1936 Trenton City Directory under “Theatres and Moving Picture Houses”. Address is 499 N. Clinton Ave.
My father worked here as a projectionist. Unfortunately situated in East Trenton, a neighborhood that is not culture conscious, the Princess closed in the 1950s and torn down around 1990.
“Princess Theatre, moving pictures, N Clinton av cor Mead”
listing in the 1920 Trenton City directory as hosted by trentonhistory.org
“ Nearby at North Clinton Avenue and Meade Street stood “The Princess;†one of Trenton’s few neighborhood theaters (#392). Featuring decorative tilework and monumental metal cornice, the building has served as both The Princess Theater and The Holy Cross Church ”
from trentonhistory.org