The Victoria Theater In Danville
Located on the corner of Mill & East Mahoning Street
(The site of the Post Office today)
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On December 28 1873 the Danville Opera House opened on the second floor of the newly constructed building. The prices for the opening night show were $8 And $10 each. $10 in 1872 is nearly $250 today.
The ground floor was occupied by several stores, including a tin shop, Hunt's Drug Store, the Farmers Bank and the post office. Danville Newspapers, The Montour American and Later the Danville Morning news, had offices on the first floor.
The third floor contained offices, lodge and club rooms, and apartments.
Postmarked 1909
In 1907, Webster Foust, Heister Foust and G.D. Edmondson bought the building in 1907, and they had a new roof put on it.
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1908
First 6 Rows Parquet, $1.50
Parquet $1.00
First 2 Rows Dress Circle 75 cents
Balance Dress Circle 50 cents
Gallery 25 cents
The concrete stairs and landing on Mill street were part of the improvements made during the summer of 1910.
On September 21 1910, the "large and fine appearing electric sign which was hung during the past few days was illuminated" for the first time.
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1908 Advertisement, showing prices for the various levels
1909, Decorated for the IOOF event
On May 12, 1914 a new six-wire antenna was erected on the roof of the Danville Opera House for receiving the latest news and baseball scores.
Danville Symphony Orchestra on the stage of the Opera House in 1923
E. Hart Bugbee was the conductor, and Miss Gertrude Heim accompanist. William J. Mull was concertmaster
On July 13 1923, the building was purchased by the Chamberlain Amusement Company, which changed the name to the Victoria Theater
"In addition to the Opera House Proper, the purchase included a number of storerooms and offices housing some of Danville's leading business establishments
Advertisement For the Victoria Theater Shows
The Victoria showed its last movie, "The Great Meadow", starring Johnny Mack Brown and Eleanor Boardman, on March 7th 1931.
Symphony Orchestras from Danville, Milton, and Williamsport continued to give concerts there, after the movies ceased.
"The razing of the Opera House building, corner of Mill and East Mahoning Streets will erase the last landmark of Danville, marking the gun battle staged between local peace officers and a gang of safe crackers 44 years ago (1893). A chip out of the wall of the building near a door on Mahoning Street remains as evidence of the gun fight in which Danville's chief of police was wounded and another peace officer had a bullet pierce his hat."
"A crippled relic of Danville's Golden Era, the old Opera House now lies in shambles of brick and mortar. From its ashes shortly will arise, phoenix-like, our modern post office building.
... for here is the end of a 64 year saga that dates back to when men were gallant and women demure. Collapsible gold toothpicks were refinements and no woman would be seen on the street minus her bustle when the $154,000 Opera House opened December 23 1873, with "Ye Old Folks"
... But the blood in its veins got thinner. The troopers who brought flesh and blood drama to its stage gave way to the flicker of films and whirr of the movie camera" - Danville News
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I’ve enjoyed reading all of your posts on our local history. I am from Danville and I’m amazed to learn so much that I didn’t know. They didn’t teach us any of that when I was in school. The Danville State Hospital were my Mother worked as an aide in hospital building. She passed at the age of thirty-seven. Which turned my life upside down. Most of my family still live there. Three aunts, two uncles, three cousins and my only sister worked there also. Your State Hospital post had taken me back. I can’t wait for your other posts. And from other family members I understand that my grandfather on my Mom’s side helped in painting the opera house. I never knew him. He died young also. The Beaver Library and YMCA article brought back memories. I swam in the pool and attended dances in jr high at the Y. Again everything seems to come together. Beaver Place , Beaver Library and even Beaver Stadium. The philanthropy of one family did so much to improve my home town.
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