Plaza Theatre
Brownsville Avenue,
Brownsville,
PA
15417
Brownsville Avenue,
Brownsville,
PA
15417
2 people
favorited this theater
The 1,000-seat Plaza Theatre opened in 1921. It was equipped with a Robert Morton 2 manual 4 ranks organ. The building also housed a dance hall. Last movie show was approximately 1967. Used for plays/live entertainment on and off until mid-1980’s. The Plaza Theatre has since been demolished.
Contributed by
E Burke
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
This beautifully ornate theater has been demolished – a victim of total neglect. The Robert Morton theater pipe organ, however, was recovered and has been donated to the local historical society. It is presently being installed in a historic building just a short distance from the former Plaza Theater. Apparently no effort was made to preserve any of the ornate moldings/castings from the elegant facade. A tragic loss. I have some pictures of the theater and the Robert Morton Pipe Organ.
In 1982, the theatre was purchased by The Laurel Co.,a limited partnership, with the intention of starting a regional theatre.
See:
– Sunday Times-Review, Fayette Section, January 17, 1982.
– The Telegraph, Vol. 68, No. 158, article by Donna Hadjuk, w/photo.
The venture failed, however the partners did establish a theater company in Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately I have never seen the old Plaza theater, but I am on the rebuilding effort of its Robert Morton organ. Nice little organ. I was wondering, theaterbob, if you could possible send me the pictures of the old theater and the organ to show the other folks on the rebuilding squad as we were talking about how we were wondering how it looked inside. Also where were the pipe chamber(s) that was another big subject of wonder that came up. if you would like, you can send me some pictures my email is
Harry S. Bair architected the Plaza Theatre
Streetview is wrong. This was on Brownsville Ave, back from Market.
Not that it really makes any difference, but the theater was sort of where the minivan is parked (on the other side of the street).
The “Theater Changes Reported By the Film Boards of Trade” section of the October 28, 1933 issue of Film Daily listed the Plaza Theatre at Brownsville as a new theater.
Unless it had been rebuilt, the Plaza was older than Film Daily thought in 1933. The June 11, 1927 Moving Picture World said that Anthony Jim, operator of Brownsville’s Bison Theatre for the previous 13 years, had bought Tom Wright’s Plaza Theatre, which Wright had built six years before. A Plaza Theatre is indeed listed in the 1926 FDY, along with the Bijou, the Arcade, and the Strand. No Bison Theatre is listed, so Mr. Jim’s earlier house must have operated under a different name then (apparently the Arcade, as that is the only one of the four that is missing from the 1929 FDY, which does list the Bison.)