Senate Theatre
184 Rhode Island Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14213
184 Rhode Island Street,
Buffalo,
NY
14213
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Additional Info
Architects: Louise Bethune
Firms: Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs
Previous Names: Frontier Theatre
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The Frontier Theatre opened in December 1913. The architectural firm that designed this theater was Bethune, Bethune and Fuchs. The first Bethune was Louise Bethune who is the first American professional woman architect.
The Frontier Theatre was renamed the Senate Theatre when it was sold to a Mr. Konczakowski. In 1928 the management installed a Link pit organ with a roll-player. It was closed in 1957. It became a garage and a shooting range. The building stands vacant and unused in 2022.
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
I lived diagonally across from the Senate theater for several years. It was (and probably still is) home to the Senate Gun Club. Other than repainting the marquee all brown, including the Senate name, there was seldom any activity around the building although it could be a bit disconcerting to come home at times and find the street lined with police cruisers. They were just using the club’s facilities to practice marksmanship. As far as I know the Senate closed as a theater in the late 50’s.
This was a nickelodeon.
Here is a 1985 photo by Michael Putnam:
http://tinyurl.com/2v6kfq
Konczakowski Theaters was headquartered at 257 Virginia Street, Buffalo in the early sixties. E.W. Konczakowski was president. Other Buffalo theaters under his command at the time were the Circle and Marlowe.
This theater is featured in Michael Putnam’s book Silent Screens. It shows the interior of the theater being used for shooting practice.
This small theater indeed did become both a garage and a shooting range – which was really in keeping with the theme of the surrounding deteoriating neighborhood. The last film to play here was one of the Godzilla series, as the ‘now playing’ one sheet stayed in the left showcase windowbox for quite a while after the theater went dark.
link
The link above is the obituary for the former owner of this theatre.
As the Frontier, this theater played Charlie Chaplin’s first film, MAKING A LIVING, on February 21, 1914. Too bad it wasn’t fixed up for its 100th anniversary last year.
Newspaper listings ended in 1957