Pennypack Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Pennypack Theatre is an historic Art Deco
style movie house located on the 8000 block of Frankford Avenue of Holmesburg in the northeast
section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
Built in 1929 and designed by architect William Harold Lee
, the theater was designed with a 1,364 seating capacity. Among its features is a sizable stage house at its back which suggests it was likely designed both for motion picture presentations as well as live performances. Originally it was called the "Holme Theatre," but in 1946 it was renamed in honor of nearby Pennypack Park
.
Constructed at the start of the Great Depression
, it appears the theater was never used to its full potential. Operating through the Depression years as a movie theater, its significance was seemingly forgotten, and thus it was never upgraded to be competitive with newer theaters built after the Depression ended. Some time during the late 1950s it was shut down as a theater and then tested as an auction house for a time. When this alternative use failed, it became a carpet outlet for many years, and finally a furniture and appliance store, before being boarded up completely soon at the start of the 21st century. Currently the building houses a Pizza Hut/Wing Street and a dollar store.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style movie house located on the 8000 block of Frankford Avenue of Holmesburg in the northeast
Northeast Philadelphia
Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 Census, the Northeast has a sizable percentage of the city's 1.547 million people — a population of between 300,000 and 450,000,...
section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Built in 1929 and designed by architect William Harold Lee
William Harold Lee
William Harold Lee was an American 20th century movie theater designer and later the chief architect for Eastern College...
, the theater was designed with a 1,364 seating capacity. Among its features is a sizable stage house at its back which suggests it was likely designed both for motion picture presentations as well as live performances. Originally it was called the "Holme Theatre," but in 1946 it was renamed in honor of nearby Pennypack Park
Pennypack Park
Pennypack Park is a municipal park, part of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park system, in Northeast Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Established in 1905 by ordinance of the City of Philadelphia, it includes about of woodlands, meadows and wetlands. The Pennypack Creek runs through the...
.
Constructed at the start of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, it appears the theater was never used to its full potential. Operating through the Depression years as a movie theater, its significance was seemingly forgotten, and thus it was never upgraded to be competitive with newer theaters built after the Depression ended. Some time during the late 1950s it was shut down as a theater and then tested as an auction house for a time. When this alternative use failed, it became a carpet outlet for many years, and finally a furniture and appliance store, before being boarded up completely soon at the start of the 21st century. Currently the building houses a Pizza Hut/Wing Street and a dollar store.