Modern Theatre (Boston)
Address | 525 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111 |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°21′15″N 71°03′44″W / 42.35415°N 71.06210°WCoordinates: 42°21′15″N 71°03′44″W / 42.35415°N 71.06210°W |
Owner | Suffolk University |
Type | Theatre |
Capacity | 185 |
Construction | |
Opened | 1876 |
Renovated | 1914, 2010 |
Architect | Levi Newcomb (original) Clarence H. Blackall (conversion) Childs Bertman Tseckares (renovation) |
Website | |
www2 |
The Modern Theatre is a theatre on Washington Street in Boston, Massachusetts. It first opened in 1876 as the Dobson Building designed by Levi Newcomb. It was renovated in 1914 as a movie theatre by architect Clarence Blackall; by 1980 it had fallen into neglect and dilapidation. In 2009–2010 Suffolk University demolished the building but retained the original facade of the theatre, and constructed a new building on the site.[1] Suffolk's new Modern Theatre opened on November 4, 2010.[2]
The theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places (1979) and designated as a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission (2002).[3]
History[]
The theater was the first to show a sound film in Boston, (The Jazz Singer in 1928,[4]) and the first to show a double feature.[5]
At one point called The Mayflower Theatre, during the 1970s it showed adult films.[6]
September 11,2013 : 12 candidates for mayor of the city of Boston squared off in a televised debate 15 days before the election. [7]
Gallery[]
Interior, 1915
Advertisement for Modern and Beacon Theatre, 1920; both run by Jacob Lourie
2007
Modern Theatre during renovation, February 2010
Modern Theatre during renovation, February 2010
References[]
Notes
- ^ AIA Guide to Boston. 2008; p.131.
- ^ Boston Globe, November 4, 2010
- ^ Modern Theatre, Suffolk University
- ^ History & Culture Downtown Boston Modern Theatre
- ^ Modern Theatre, Suffolk University
- ^ Long-vacant Modern Theatre in Boston to house Suffolk University students
- ^ "Boston Mayoral candidates visit Suffolk to debate, answer student questions". The Suffolk Journal. 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
Further reading
- Boston Landmarks Commission. Modern Theatre: study report. 2002.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Modern Theatre (Boston). |
- Modern Theatre history. Suffolk University, Boston.
- Cinema Treasures. Modern Theatre.
- Flickr. Photo of Modern/Mayflower Theatre building, 2007.
- ArchBoston.org. Discussion thread
- Flickr. Photo, September 2010.
- Flickr. Photo, September 2005.
- Theatres in Boston
- Commercial buildings completed in 1876
- 1914 establishments in Massachusetts
- History of Boston
- Boston Theater District
- Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places in Boston