Abigail Theatre

211 Court Street,
Prestonsburg, KY 41653

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 16, 2023 at 9:12 pm

The Abigail Theatre makes its first appearance in the FDY in 1938, which makes a 1937 opening for the house likely. The 1937 edition lists only the 100-seat Unique Theatre, also listed in 1938 but with 350 seats.

A February 24, 1940 Boxoffice item said that “H. T. Allen, owner of the Abigail at Prestonburg [sic] Ky., has opened the Patti there.” Despite this announcement, I haven’t found a theater called the Patti listed in FDYs through 1945 (I haven’t checked later editions.) The Abigail, Broadway, Princess and (sometimes) the Unique are listed through this period, though all but the Abigail are invariably listed as closed. Prestonsburg is also invariably misspelled by the FDY as Prestonburg, without its second S.

The December 10, 1949 Boxoffice mentions both the Abigail and the Strand, and notes that John Allen, owner of the Strand, is not related to H. T. (Henry) Allen, owner of the Abigail.