The Landmark Theatre, originally known as Loew's State Theater, is a historic theater from the era of
movie palace
A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is a large, elaborately decorated movie theater built from the 1910s to the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 1925 and 1930. Wi ...
s, located on South Salina Street in
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...
, United States. Designed by
Thomas W. Lamb, it is the city's only surviving example of the opulent theatrical venues of the 1920s.
The Landmark is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
History
The
Loew's Corporation announced plans for a new theater on February 19, 1926. It would be built at the intersection of South Salina Street and West Jefferson Street, previously the location of the Jefferson Hotel. The Loew's State Theatre opened on February 18, 1928, and offered double bills of famous
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
stage acts and first-run films. During the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
it continued to do good business, as theater patrons escaped for a few hours into its plush grandeur.
However, by the 1970s, the theater suffered from low attendance and was in disrepair. It closed in 1975 and was in danger of demolition. In 1976, Syracuse Area Landmark Theatre, or SALT, was formed to preserve and renovate the venue. With the help of an October 11, 1977 benefit concert by
Harry Chapin
Harry Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy Award- ...
, the group successfully raised $65,000 to purchase the property, at which time Loew's State was renamed the Landmark Theatre. SALT gained ownership of the theater while the remainder of the building including the upper floors remained with then-owner Sutton Real Estate.
The Landmark eventually purchased the first two floors of the building and a $16 million renovation project lasting from October 2010 to November 2011 expanded the backstage area, also providing new dressing rooms and green rooms in a plan to try to attract larger, longer-running events to the theater. The aging, recessed loading dock in the theater's rear on South Clinton Street was removed and replaced with a new two-bay dock. The box office was relocated from Jefferson Street to Salina Street, next to the lobby entrance and the original wooden ticket booth, both disused since its Loews State days. Awnings over the street-level storefronts were removed.
In addition to the theater, the building also includes several storefronts and offices on the upper floors.
[an]
''Accompanying three photos, exterior and interior, from 1975''
The Clinton Street storefronts were eliminated during the backstage expansion, the display windows now used for event posters. The upper floors have a separate entrance on West Jefferson Street and are collectively referred to as the Loews Building. Three floors have been converted by developer Robert Doucette into 24
condominium
A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...
apartments.
On September 12, 2008, the Landmark hosted the world premiere of ''
The Express'', a fictionalized account of the life of
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
alumnus
Ernie Davis
Ernest R. Davis (December 14, 1939 – May 18, 1963) was an American college football player who was a halfback for the Syracuse Orangemen who won the Heisman Trophy in 1961. He was the award's first black recipient. Davis was selected firs ...
, attended by stars
Rob Brown and
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The Right Stuff'' (1983), '' The Big Easy'' (1986), '' Innerspace'' (1987), '' Great Balls of Fire!'' (1989), ' ...
. Several blocks of South Salina Street, normally a main
thoroughfare
A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way of transport, whether by road on dry land or, by extension, via watercraft or aircraft. Originally, the word referred to a main road or open street which was frequented thoroughly.
Different terms
*Roa ...
through downtown, were closed to traffic for the event.
Architecture
According to Peter Baum of SALT, Loew's State was the first great "Oriental-style" movie theater, predating two of Loew's "Oriental palaces" in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Architect Thomas Lamb described the theatre as "European, Byzantine, Romanesque – which is the Orient as it came to us through the merchants of Venice."
A large chandelier once hung in the lobby, originally designed by
Louis Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is associated with the Art Nouveau, art nouveauLander, David ...
for
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...
's mansion. The chandelier was sold during the 1970s. A 1,400-pipe
Wurlitzer organ
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...
was also once a major feature of the venue, but was also gone by the time SALT purchased the property. The promenade lobby, reached via a grand staircase, once held a fishpond with a Japanese pagoda fountain. The Landmark's red and gold decor and several large murals have been preserved and restored. The restored lobby is closed to the public and is only open for special events.
References
External links
Landmark Theatre official siteLandmark Theatreat Cinema Treasures
Landmark Theatre Archives{{Authority control
Concert halls in New York (state)
Buildings and structures in Syracuse, New York
Movie palaces
Culture of Syracuse, New York
Theatres completed in 1928
Tourist attractions in Syracuse, New York
Loew's Theatres buildings and structures
1928 establishments in New York (state)
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
National Register of Historic Places in Onondaga County, New York
Thomas W. Lamb buildings