Capitol Theatre
29 Second Street W.,
Cornwall,
ON
K6J 1G3
29 Second Street W.,
Cornwall,
ON
K6J 1G3
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Architects: G.J. Mace
Firms: Chapman & Oxley
Styles: Atmospheric
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Mar 2, 2010 — Happy 45th, "The Sound Of Music"
The Capitol Theatre opened January 1928 and and had an original seating capacity of 1,360. It was designed in an Atmospheric style by architect G.J. Mace.
Closed in 1985 it was demolished by the city administration in 1991.
Contributed by
Graeme McBain, Ken Roe
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 5 comments)
An article about the failed restoration of the Capitol is at:
http://www.cornwall-lacac.on.ca/Capitol.html
The Capitol Theatre was a ‘sister’ theatre to the Runnymede Theatre, Toronto.
Here are some updated links to two of the pictures of the theatre previously posted above as well as two others from the Ontario Archives:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011937.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0020938.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0020939.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0020940.jpg
The change in policy at the Capitol to first-run movies in 1983-84 led directly to the demise of the Palace Theatres which Canadian Odeon could not find profitable when competing against a non-profit theatre.
The Capitol Theatre in Cornwall is one of my favourite theatres, built in 1928 by the Palace Amusement Company, a Famous Players partnership situation. Clarence Markell was the spark behind this building and the Palace Theatre in Cornwall, Ontario — and during the twenties and thirties both these theatres did very well. Clarence Markell was extremely GOOD theatre operator!! During the first year or two of the Capitol Theatre’s operation — the Palace Theatre was kept closed, but later was re-opened and much later became the number one house when remodelled completely about `1949. Business was so good in Cornwall, that the Markells and the Whithams seriously considered building a third theatre in Cornwall, but it never happened!! The Capitol Theatre had a wooden floor and I remember hearing the crowds move on that wooden floor (it sounded very loud almost like a herd of elephants moving).