Julia Sanderson Theater | |
Location | Springfield, Massachusetts |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°6′14″N72°35′44″W / 42.10389°N 72.59556°W |
Built | 1912 |
Architect | Carlson, Ernest F. |
Architectural style | Classical Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 79000348 [1] |
Added to NRHP | May 10, 1979 |
The Paramount Theater (formerly known as Julia Sanderson Theater and The Hippodrome) is an historic theater located at 1676-1708 Main Street in Springfield, Massachusetts. Built in 1926 out of part of the grand Massasoit House hotel [2] at a cost of over $1 million, the Paramount Theater was the most ornate picture palace in Western Massachusetts. As of 2011, The Paramount is in the midst of a $1.725 million renovation to once again become a theater after decades as a disco and concert hall, (the Hippodrome), when it was the center of Springfield's club scene. [3] In 2018 the building's owners, the New England Farm Workers Council, announced plans to redevelop it in tandem with a new adjacent hotel building. In a push to renovate the Paramount along with Holyoke's Victory Theater, in October 2018, the administration of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a $2.5 million grant to assist the project, on top of a $4 million federal loan guarantee. [4] However, the New England Farm Workers Council would subsequently announced plans to sell the building on July 30, 2024. An auction was slated for August 20 of that year before being delayed to September 23. [5] [6] [7]
From 1926 until the 1960s, The Paramount changed names several times—including a brief stint as the Julia Sanderson Theater, honoring a famous actress from Springfield. However, it remained a movie theater until the 1960s, when it began to find use as a mixed use venue for movies, rock concerts, and other live performances. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In 1999, the venue was purchased and restored by Steven Stein and Michael Barrasso of Paramount Realty Investment LLC/Creative Theater Concepts. At that time, it was turned into a lavish nightclub and performance space. The venue's main floor seats were removed; however, the 1,100 balcony seats were retained and restored. The theater underwent a $1.3 million renovation in 1999, and was reopened as the Hippodrome. The original organ was restored and the marquee was changed to reflect the theater's new name.
The Hippodrome became a popular nightclub and concert venue during the 2000s. In 2011, the theater was purchased by the New England Farm Worker's Council. As of 2011, the Paramount Theater is in the midst of a $1.725 million renovation to once again become a theater and performance space. [8]
Springfield is the most populous city in and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern Mill River. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 155,929, making it the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the fourth most populous city in New England after Boston, Worcester, and Providence. Metropolitan Springfield, as one of two metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, had a population of 699,162 in 2020.
The Big E, formally known as The Eastern States Exposition, is an annual fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts, which opens on the second Friday after Labor Day and runs for seventeen days.
A hippodrome was an ancient Grecian horse and chariot racing course and arena. Hippodrome or Hipódromo may also refer to:
The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is a historic theater building and performing arts center in Portland, Oregon, United States. Part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, it is home to the Oregon Symphony, Portland Youth Philharmonic, Metropolitan Youth Symphony, White Bird Dance Company, and Portland Arts & Lectures. It is also a concert and film venue. Originally the Paramount Theatre, it is also locally nicknamed "The Schnitz".
The Holyoke Mall at Ingleside is a shopping center located in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in the city's Ingleside neighborhood. It is owned by The Pyramid Companies. The mall features 135 stores, a large food court, and several restaurants and is 1.6 million square feet, the third-largest in New England by retail space. The mall features the anchor stores Macy's, JCPenney, Target, Best Buy, Burlington, Hobby Lobby, and Altitude Trampoline Park, run by Joseph Berthiaume and Benjamin Shirely.
The Paramount Theatre is a live theatre venue/movie theatre located in downtown Austin, Texas. The classical revival style structure was built in 1915. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1976.
The Rialto Theatre is a performance theater and concert venue located on Congress Street in downtown Tucson, Pima County, southern Arizona. The cinema−theater and surrounding Rialto Building commercial block were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
The Paramount Theatre is a 1,693-seat theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the Cedar Rapids Central Business District Commercial Historic District.
The Somerville Theatre is an independent movie theater and concert venue in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. Over one hundred years old, the Somerville Theatre started off as a vaudeville house and movie theater. The theater has since transitioned and now operates as a live music venue and first-run movie theater. As a music venue, the theater has played host to many historic concerts, including the first of the two Last Dispatch concerts, two shows by Bruce Springsteen in 2003, and a performance by U2 in 2009. Recent live performances have included Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cursive, Norah Jones, The Jonas Brothers, Joan Baez, and the John Butler Trio.
Julia Sanderson was a Broadway actress and singer. In 1887, she was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to parents Albert H. Sackett and Jeanette Elvira Sanderson.
Veterans Memorial Auditorium is a performing arts theater in Providence, Rhode Island. Construction began in 1928 but was delayed by the Great Depression. The theater was finally completed in 1950.
An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, architectural elements and ornamentation that evoked a sense of being outdoors. This was intended to make the patron a more active participant in the setting.
The Congress Theater is a historic movie palace in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. Fridstein and Company designed it in 1926 for the movie theater operator Lubliner and Trinz. It features ornate exterior and interior design work in a combination of the Classical Revival and Italian Renaissance styles. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
The Paramount Theatre, also known as the Paramount Arts Center, opened in Aurora, Illinois, in 1931. It was designed by Rapp and Rapp in the Art Deco style with Venetian elements. Over the years, it has hosted films, plays, musicals, concerts, comedy shows, and other acts. The structure was restored in the 1970s and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is part of the Stolp Island Historic District.
The Victory Theatre is a theater in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was built in 1919 and opened in 1920 by the Goldstein Brothers Amusement Company. The architecture is in the Art Deco style and is considered the last of its type between Boston and Albany. The Victory, a 1,600 seat Broadway-style theater has been derelict since 1979. Bought by Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA) in 2009, the Victory will be returned by MIFA, to its role as a major performing arts center for the entire region. Fundraising for the 61 million dollar project continues through private, individual, corporate, and foundation donations, public grants, and State and Federal Historic Tax Credits and New Market Tax Credits. Recently the City of Holyoke made a 2 Million commitment in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the Victory and that the project anticipates funding of $3.5 Million to be allocated to build on these city funds through Governor Healey's capital spending plan.
The Entertainment District is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Metro Center district surrounding historic Stearns Square. Stearns Square is bordered by Worthington Street to the north and Bridge Street to the south; however, the Entertainment District extends for several city blocks north, south, east and west of Stearns Square. For over 100 years, this area of Springfield, surrounding Stearns Square and Springfield Union Station have been home to the city's most prominent clubs, restaurants, bars, music venues, movies houses, and coffee houses. Currently, there are over 75 restaurants, nightclubs, and bars in Springfield's Entertainment District, making it the largest entertainment district between New York City and Montreal, Canada. The Entertainment District is a primary reason why Springfield was recently ranked among America's Top Ten Best Cities for Singles by Yahoo and Sperling's Best Places.
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Springfield, Massachusetts.
MGM Springfield is a hotel and casino complex situated in the heart of Metro Center, Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Opening on August 24, 2018 in a block of buildings that are historically or culturally influential to Springfield, it became the first resort casino in the Commonwealth. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. It was temporarily closed on March 14, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened to the public on July 13, 2020, after nearly 4 months of being closed, with safety precautions and reduced capacity in place. Chris Kelley is the current President and COO of the MGM Springfield.
The Railway Hotel is a former pub and hotel in Station Road, Edgware and a Grade II listed building with Historic England.
The Palace Theatre is a historic theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Dating from 1916, it was renovated in 2016 to become a live music venue.