What You Can Do
Give $11 to help support the 11 Most Endangered Places.
11 Most Endangered
Historic American Movie Theaters
Year Listed: 2001
Location: , *United States
Current Status: Endangered
Threat: Deterioration, Neglect
Latest News
July 2009: The City of Baltimore purchased the Senator Theatre, and has plans to save and reuse the historic structure preserving it for future generations. Read more.
The Senator Theater in Baltimore, Maryland is among the Historic American Movie Theaters on the National Trust's 2001 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.
Credit: Byrd Wood
Significance
Since the birth of the motion picture era more than a century ago, millions of Americans have flocked to downtown theaters for the latest films. Historic theaters were designed to transport audiences to fanciful, faraway places with their Art Deco, Egyptian and Chinese motifs, bringing a unique dimension to the movie going experience. But because multi-screen chain theaters can show more movies to smaller audiences, they don't need a full house to make a profit. Historic movie theaters, which have higher operating costs anyway, typically have hundreds or even thousands of seats per screen. When the theater isn't full, it's harder to stay viable and so historic theaters across the country are being razed.
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Share your memories of this endangered place
Submitted by Tom Harris at: July 7, 2009
This theatre is set to go to an uncertain future at auction on July 22, 2009. The community has stated they want it turned into a non-profit multipurpose arts, education & entertainment venue, but the city has not made the commitment to help this happen (even when presented with facts this has worked other places in the US). If anyone knows of a historical theatre-friendly group with financing, we know folks ready to chip in to make this vision happen despite the city. http://www.senator.com http://vimeo.com/4767069 http://friendsofthesenatortheatre.wordpress.com http://astrogirlguides.com http://thesenatorcommunitytrust.org