Star Theater

Joe Vogel on July 29, 2014 at 3:08 am

There were two houses called the Altmeyer Theatre in McKeesport. The first was a 1,600-seat house on Fifth Avenue at Strawberry Street, which was dedicated in December, 1892, and destroyed by a fire in February, 1896.

The second Altmeyer Theatre was on the north side of Fifth Avenue almost opposite the end of Blackberry Street. This was a former saloon which was converted into a theater. By 1908 it was being operated by J. P. Harris. It was listed in the 1913-1914 Cahn guide as a ground floor house with 640 seats in the orchestra, 210 in the balcony, a gallery accommodating 300 and boxes for 50.

In later years the second Altmeyer Theatre was renamed the Harris State Theatre. It was later converted into a department store. This probably happened before 1930. When Warner Brothers took over 17 Harris theaters in the region in 1930, the only McKeesport houses listed as part of the deal were the J. P. Harris Memorial Theatre and a house called the Harris Walnut Street Theatre.

There might have been a 200-seat house called the Star Theatre in McKeesport, but if there was it was definitely not the former Altmeyer Theatre.