Jefferson Theatre
230 N. Findley Street,
Punxsutawney,
PA
15767
230 N. Findley Street,
Punxsutawney,
PA
15767
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Alright. So it’s somewhere.
My organ source has told me at the time of the theatre demise the organ was sold.
That’ll be a great idea!
Would be nice to research this re: the Wurlitzer. I know an organ restorer and will ask him. In the meantime, will contact the Punxsutawney Historical Society.
I don’t know.
And to think it had a Wurlitzer is amazing. Does anyone know what happened to it???
For Punxy to have lost its theatre(s) is a crime.
On May 17, 1993, the Punxsutawney Arts Council tried to reopen the Jefferson Theatre. At the time, the theater was still abandoned, which sat abandoned since the theater’s closure for the final time on October 6, 1978. They tried to form a committee comprised of individuals with an interest in the restoration and reopening of the theater. The general idea at the time for the city’s Arts Council is to create “an umbrella organization to work with existing groups to expand cultural development” according to one of its members who also respond that the restoration and reopening should be considered as a part of the overall downtown renovation of people across Punxsutawney and will be a major step in economic recovery of the community. A total of four subcommittees were formed and one exclusively involved in restoring the theater. Two proposals to conduct architecture studies of the Jefferson Theatre and to approach renovation was expected at the time. Unfortunately, they failed to reopen the theater.
Shortly during its last days as a movie theater in the 1970s, the Jefferson Theatre was last managed and operated by Patsy Barber, a local resident who also is a longtime Democratic Party worker. The Jefferson Theatre was also named in the Pennsylvania Registry of Historic Places.
During the week of August 11, 1998, the theater was demolished forcibly.
The actual opening date was November 24, 1905 with a presentation of Blaine Von Thiele in “The Princess Chic”. It was first operated under the management of Edward R. Salter.
Not just films but for a time, the Jefferson was popular for local politician events. The Jefferson had a mix of movies and special events.
On October 18, 1951, Republican Chairman Grant Scheafnocker tripped and fell while walking out of the Jefferson Theatre. He fractured his leg and was taken back to his house without incident.
The Jefferson Theatre remains as the only surviving movie theater in Punxsutawney after the closures of both Skyline Drive-In and Alpine Theatres, until the Jefferson closed for the final time on October 6, 1978. This left moviegoers across the Groundhog Capital to go see films in DuBois or Brookville, both of which were 20 miles away. The Jefferson Theatre was demolished 20 years later in 1998 after leaving it abandoned for two long decades.
Will try and contact someone with the historical society in the town to see if I can find out anything… particularly when the Wurlitzer was removed and where it is today!
The theatre site called Cinema Tour has many photos of this theatre before it was demolished.
According to the NRHP nomination for for the Jefferson Theatre (PDF here), the house opened in November, 1905, with a stock company in residence.
Guess it was demolished according to the post by “ken mc”.
Chuck: Thanks for the photo posted in April. Is the building still standing?
This is an 8/11/98 article from the Indiana (PA) Gazette:
PUNXSUTAWNEY â€" The owner of the old Jefferson Theatre building was given seven days to complete demolition of the building at Monday night’s meeting of the Punxsutawney Borough Council. Borough Manager Sue Maczko told council that Bethpage Industries Inc. is planning to open a business in the vicinity of the former theater building on North Findley Street but has been unable to complete its project because of the lingering demolition of the three-story structure.
Maczko told council that Bethpage wants to open this fall, but has been unable to get a natural gas installation for its office because the theater demolition is still uncompleted. The theater has been closed since 1978. It is partially razed, but all of the high steel beams remain in place. Maczko said the Borough Code Enforcement Office had issued a permit to Blair Blose, the owner of the building, to demolish the building in February, 1998; Blose has since been granted an extension.
Council moved to direct borough Solicitor A. Ted Hudock to write a letter instructing Blose and the demolition crew that there is now a seven day deadline for completion of the project. Police Chief Bill Clement was directed to close off the portion of Pine Alley between the old theater and the Jefferson High Rise apartments to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic because of safety hazards until the demolition is completed. The vote on both directives was 9-0.
This is from the Indiana (PA) Gazette in November 1979:
PUNXSUTAWNEY – The Jefferson Theater will go under the auctioneer’s gavel in a public auction to be held here at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15. The public auction will be held on the premises of the Jefferson Theater Building with Col. Larry Reed, of DuBois, as auctioneer. To be put up for sale at the auction will be the building itself and the contents of the former movie theater facility.
The Jefferson theater building is owned by a Pittsburgh entertainment chain. The movie house, located on North Findley Street in Punxsutawney, has been closed since Oct. 6, 1978, when the last regularly scheduled feature was shown. Since that time only one movie has been shown every six months to enable the owners to retain the theater zoning designation for the building.
Lost Memory: Now that’s a thought, but I have friends in that area who will check out Phil for me while I watch the TV coverage each year anyway. LOL I have gone to the town and seen where Phil appears each year. Many of these small PA towns that had theatres don’t have them anymore and it is such a shame…Dubois, Brookville, Punxy, Titusville and the list goes on!
Lost Memory: And don’t you just love it when after the word owner is says PRIVATE! That is when I really get curious as to the owner’s intentions and if those intentions have any theatre focus.
Lost Memory: I wonder what happened to the Wurlitzer organ that is listed as being in or having been in this theatre? This PA town is near my husband’s hometown of Brookville. Maybe sometime I’ll get to “Punxy” and look around the 230 North Findley Street address.