Alpine Theatre
455 Ridgley Street,
Orbisonia,
PA
17243
455 Ridgley Street,
Orbisonia,
PA
17243
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Alpine Theater Circuit
Functions: Retail
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Orbisonia Opera House, Strand Theatre
Nearby Theaters
A conversion of a former church built in the early-1800’s.The Orbisonia Opera House was opened in 1902 with 500-seats. William G. Lucas bought the Orbisonia Opera House and installed an electric light power lamp to support a new, up-to-date moving picture service. He opened the 280-seat Strand Theatre on July 4, 1917.
Movies, live shows and conventions continued until 1929, when a fire in a Reed Store, which adjoined the theatre, seriously damaged the roof and rear of the theatre building. Repairs were carried out and the Strand Theatre reopened on April 20, 1929, with all new equipment, furnishings, upholstered seating and a pipe organ. By 1944 it had been taken over by F.D. ‘Dinty’ Moore, branch manager, who sold the theatre to the Alpine Theater Circuit, based in Kingwood, WV. They completed a remodel in a Streamline Moderne style, and it was renamed Alpine Theatre November 8, 1946. E.T. Dormer was the manager. It was still operating in 1950 with 250-seats.
For many years it has operated as a hardware store.
Contributed by
Mike Rogers, Elizabeth Morningstar
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
This has not been demolished. It’s a True Value hardware store, and has been for many years. The address is 455 Ridgely St. The building is much older than 1929. It was originally a small church, which likely dated to the early 1800s. The church appears on the 1911 map, and was extended both at the front and rear to create the theater. You can still see the bricked-in windows.
I’ve added a recent photo of this very much undemolished theater.
Most likely closed on September 27, 1958.
Charles Alpine was the general manager of the Alpine Circuit and owned 30 theatres in three states Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.