{"id":18628,"date":"2016-01-13T21:15:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-14T02:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2016\/01\/renovation-of-park-theater-is-in-the-works-could-be-open-for-films-other-events-in-17.html"},"modified":"2017-11-08T11:02:42","modified_gmt":"2017-11-08T16:02:42","slug":"renovation-of-park-theater-is-in-the-works-could-be-open-for-films-other-events-in-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2016\/01\/renovation-of-park-theater-is-in-the-works-could-be-open-for-films-other-events-in-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Renovation Of Park Theater Is In The Works; Could Be Open For Films, Other Events In ’17"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Elizabeth Miller, president of Miller Mechanical, has purchased the Park Theater building at 14 Park St., Glens Falls, and plans to turn it into a performing arts venue.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
BY MAUREEN WERTHER<\/p>\n
On a chilly December evening in 1911, the Park Theater, located in the heart of downtown Glens Falls, welcomed its first customers. It offered vaudeville acts, variety shows, and the newest<\/p>\n
craze–silent movies.<\/p>\n
Over 100 years later, after several changes of ownership and standing empty for long stretches of time, the historic building at 14 Park St. is about to get a face lift and open its doors once again.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Miller, president of Miller Mechanical, purchased the building from the family of Dr. Harold Kirkpatrick in July 2014, with the intention of rescuing it from probable demolition and returning it to the community as a venue for performing arts, theater productions and private parties and events.<\/p>\n
This is not the first time the old building has been rescued from destruction. After closing for the first time in 1935, most likely a casualty of the Great Depression, the Glens Falls Post Star purchased it in 1937 and moved its printing press operations there. Ownership changed again in 1979, when it was sold to R. Morris. No information is available regarding the reason for the purchase or Morris’ plans for the building. But the theater stood idle again for several more years until Dr. Harold Kirkpatrick purchased it, saving it from the wrecking ball. Kirkpatrick spent more than 20 years and huge amounts of his own money restoring the building and returning it as a “focal point” in the community, according to the GlensFallsRegion.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n