Strand Theatre

652-660 Centre Street,
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

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Additional Info

Architects: E.R.B. Chapman

Previous Names: Emmet Hall

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Strand Theatre, Jamaica Plain, Boston MA

Opened as an Ancient Order of Hibernians hall by 1910. By 1917 it had been renamed Strand Theatre and was remodeled that year to the plans of architect E.R.B. Chapman. The building shows up on Fire Insurance maps of 1914 and 1924.

Contributed by Mark Bulger

Recent comments (view all 7 comments)

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on January 11, 2008 at 9:37 pm

Can you give us a more exact street address? Centre is a very long street. What is on this site now?

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on January 12, 2008 at 10:26 am

In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook theatre list there is a “Supreme Theatre” in Jamaica Plain, with 600 seats. No other info. Could that be another name for the Strand/Emmet Theatre ??

MarkB
MarkB on November 21, 2008 at 9:54 pm

The building went up at 652-660 Centre st in 1910. It was a mixed retail/theatre space, with a hall named Emmett hall for the Irish Republican hero.It opened as a theatre showing silent movies and became the Strand some time before 1924. You can see the vertical marquee in the old picture here:
View link

You can see the location at Centre st. and Starr lane in this 1924 map. http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=1321

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on January 26, 2011 at 12:13 pm

The Strand at 658 Centre St in JP is listed in a Boston business directory, Issue 85, which I think is 1921. Found it on Google Books.

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on January 31, 2011 at 10:27 am

The street directory section of the 1918 edition of the Boston Register and Business Directory, Issue 83, says: “Strand Theatre moving pictures, Emmet Block, 658 Centre St, JP” (near Green Street).

MarkB
MarkB on May 22, 2012 at 4:31 pm

I uploaded an enlarged section of a photo that shows the Strand marquee.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 16, 2017 at 3:57 pm

The Strand was remodeled in 1917, as noted in the July 14 issue of The American Contractor:

:“Theater, Store, Office & Hall (alt.): 100x112. Starr Lane & Centre St.. Jamaica Plain dist. Archt. E. R. B. Chapman, 44 Bromfleld St., Boston, & 119 Franklin St., Stoneham, Mass. Owner F. J. Horgan, Strand Theater, Jamaica Plain. Redrawing plans.”
Judging from mentions in trade journals and books of the period, E. R. B. Chapman was fairly busy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but he seems not to be remembered today.

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