Valley Girl Views: Park Theatre, Williamsport Pa

Park Theater, Located on the 700 block of West Fourth Street

Prior to 1927, this "Linck Block" held the Hippendrome Theater, and Linck Hardware. Those establishments were lost in a "half million dollar fire" in February of 1927.

Before the fire - the Linck Block

The long sign to the left reads "Hippendrome". The Hippodrome Theater opened in 1911, operating until it was destroyed in the 1927 fire.

Construction of the Park Theatre

The new Park building, constructed after the Linck Block was destroyed by fire in 1927. The Park was open for business in 1928.

The first "talkie" motion picture shown in Williamsport was shown at the Park on January 30th, 1929, using the Vitaphone system. . (The Keystone Theater played a "talkie" movie just a week later, on February 4th)

Harry Hartman, former manager of the Legionnaire theater in Milton, returned to his hometown of Williamsport to become the new manager of the Park theater in January of 1929The Sun Gazette reported on January 30th 1929 that Mr Hartman was assuming management, and taht Gregory M. Beck "who has for several years acted as temporary manager of the Park theater will give his entire time to the management of the Keystone theater, which position he has filled for a number of years."

Notice the three globe lights, which today we associate with Lewisburg, and if you look close, you can see the trolley tracks in the middle of the street.

The new Park Theatre had 1,400 seats and the building included a ballroom, six "business places", and six apartments.

1937 Children's Matinee

In June of 1937, Chamberlain & Hoffman of Shamokin purchased the Park Theatre amusement business and apartment building in Williamsport for $150,000.

The new owners planned to completely remodel the threatre and ballroom. Plans included:

New projection equipment, new floor coverings, reseating of the playhouse, and the ballroom was to be redecorated. They purchased the Karlton in Williamsport at about the same time, renovations at the Park were to begin when renovations at the Karlton were completed.

Decorated for Christmas, this was likely another children's matinee event.

I'm told that in the 1950s, on Wednesday nights the Park had a "Lotto Night". A wheel was spun, and the prizes were cash money.

In December 1946, Santa rode on horseback to lead downtown shoppers to the Park Theater where

"Badman’s Territory,” was showing.

A larger version of the photo above.

In later years, there was both a bowling alley, and a skating rink, in the building.

In the newspapers, an advertisement ran frequently from 1928-1955, for "Art Wendel and His Hotel Altmont Orchestra" . The orchestra made frequent appearances in the Park Ballroom.

The Park Theater was sold in January of 1957.

May 30, 1957

An image from google maps, of what the building looks like today.

Morrone's restaurant is located here currently.

I'm told that the theater was "L Shaped", and that you entered from the front, then the movie theater was to the left, in the back of the building. The front of the building, as seen in the earlier photos, were all store fronts.