Loew's Palace Theater
645 Main Street,
Hartford,
CT
06103
645 Main Street,
Hartford,
CT
06103
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A November 8, 1913 item in Moving Picture World said that construction had begun on Sylvester Poli’s new theater at Main and Gold streets in Hartford. The architect for the project was Ferdinand Von Beren of Brown & Von Beren, New Haven. Von Beren designed a number of early projects for Poli. It wasn’t until later that Poli began hiring Thomas Lamb. It’s possible that Lamb designed some later alterations for the Palace, but the original architect was Von Beren.
DEMOLISHED after September 1964 for the construction of Bushnell Plaza. It was torn down along with its sister Loew’s Poli Theatre next to it.
opening article
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Grand opening ad already up.
When I came to Hartford in the fall of 1961 to begin Trinity, there were many theatres. Now there are none. There were also unique shops and restaurants – not the current yuppie-duppie types serving 23 types of quiche or bland chains, but individually owned establishments. Probably they, including the theatres, couldn’t pass the ADA-mandated “handicap access” requirements or stringent fire codes, but downtown was a wonderland of REAL diversity, reminiscent of Petulia Clarks’s “Downtown.”
A.K.A. Loews Poli Palace.
Mentioned in http://www.hogriver.org/issues/v01n03/palaces.htm
I will attempt to scan and post them as links to a photo server in the next few days. The add-a-photo function on this website doesn’t work, and in any event would allow for only one photo per theatre page.
I would love to see the photos that are in the “Images of America” for the Palace and other Hartford theaters but not having the book, I would ask that the photos that Mr. DeLuca mentions, be scanned and posted along with your comments to the ‘ADD PHOTO’ link at the top of this page.
A period photo of the theatre when it was the (New) Palace Theatre can be seen in the “Images of America” book Hartford, Volume I, page 61. The marquee displays the 1929 film The Cockeyed World.
When I attended this theater in the early 50’s, as I did all of the downtown Hartford theaters, this and the Loews next door, were truly very ornate. During intermissions, when all the lights were on, I would look up at the huge chandelier, painted ceiling and ornate sculpture and think that I really was in a palace. The Allyn, Loews and the Loews Palace were the first to install air conditioning. The E.M. Loew’s that was next to the Allyn, never did get refridgerated. It was still packed in the summer time. They used big fans and opened all of the doors.
Would love to see a photo(s) of this former theatre in Hartford.
The Loew’s Palace Theatre was located at 645 Main Street and it was listed as seating 2344 in 1932 and 1639 people in 1956.