This is a good example of the sort of images that I have looked for decades to find. It is a gold nugget in the history stream of our community. The creme de la creme of the many thousands of images I have looked through.
I found this by accident. Reader Lew alerted me to an image of a theater in Maplewood that was listed for sale on Ebay. That one turned out to be in Maplewood, New Jersey. I suspected that it might because the facade just didn’t jive with anything that I knew about our two Maplewood theater buildings. When I typed Maplewood Theater in the search box this one also showed up. Hallelujah!
I have only seen a couple of off-in-the-distance type images of the original marquee on our mid 1920s Maplewood Theater building. It had two and parts of the second are in storage in our street department garage. This full head-on view of the marquee literally blows my mind.
It was easy to date, 1937, by the two movies that were showing. The Soldier and the Lady and Seventh Heaven. What more could I ask for? How about the Harley-Davidson! Super-excellent! Do you think that box is attached to it? Or is the box just on the sidewalk? I wonder if the motorcycle was part of the reason the image was made? Or did it just happen to be there? We’ll probably never know for sure but my readers are sure to have a few opinions of their own.
Many of my readers probably know that the first Maplewood Theater building survives and is now Scheidt (True Value to you newcomers) Hardware. It was the theater from about 1910 until 1916. I have never found an image of the marquee that must have once been on that building.
I consider these historic images to be missing links to our past. This one was a much-searched-for missing link. Not any longer.
What fabulous luck to find this image! Note the cast iron lion heads on the building. They have survived.
Prior to the first image, this was the only view of the marquee that I had ever found. This is a detail from an image kindly provided by the National Building Arts Center.
What follows are screenshots of the page spreads from my second book on Maplewood history, titled, what else…Maplewood History. Volume Two. Copies are still available at Scheidt Hardware, 7320 Manchester which is the building that housed the very first Maplewood Theater. Ask to see the screw holes in the floor left by the removal of the seats. I will also be happy to provide a copy of my book to anyone interested.
I know of six buildings that once held theaters in Maplewood. Three still exist. The two mentioned in this article and the McGregor Bakery/Powhatan Theater building at 3107 Sutton.
How’s that for historical theater information. What history blog gives you more? Remember to buy local and help these folks out who are doing the hard work of keeping our historic buildings in good repair!
They’re saying 89 degrees tomorrow. I’ll see you at the pool.
Doug Houser July 26, 2024
None of those it was Zimmerman in the loop on Yale
I wonder if was these Zimmermans?
https://40southnews.com/maplewood-history-the-zimmermans-on-hazel/
I found it, Margaret. Zimmerman’s store, later Shamrock Furniture, was in this post. Don, if you’re reading this, there is also a photo that has the Priscilla Shop in it.
https://40southnews.com/maplewood-history-gerry-vazis-red-album-of-photographs-part-two/
Love the maplewood theatre picture!!!
Me too. Thanks, Melissa.
The building to the West of the Maplewood is Davidson Restaurant. Sterling Davidson became mayor of Maplewood in the 1950’s.
Jim, thanks for adding that bit of information to our historic record. Do you know much more about Mayor Davidson? I’ve heard a couple of unsubstantiated stories.
I grew up on Flora between Sutton and Big Bend. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a big glow coming from the direction of Sutton and it was the Powhatan theater burning to the ground.
I went to many a show there as a kid, especially the Saturday matinee with the western serials.
I’ve never been able to find a photo of the theater intact with the marquee and ticket office.
Something else from my young years gone.
Then there was the Priscilla Shop. Excellent ice cream and a neat place.
Margaret, Was it Golde’s or Golman’s or PN Hirsch?
https://40southnews.com/maplewood-history-the-disastrous-1966-immolation-of-goldes-part-2/
Thanks for sharing this rare photo and keeping our cultural history alive.
My pleasure, Bob. Thanks for the feedback,
I have been wanting to see a picture of the department store in the loop. Years ago, a woman told me that her father owned the department store in the loop. She told me that every Christmas Eve, her parents would open the store and give away toys for free for the needy families. Since then I was always wondering which building it was and what it looked like.