Trending
What is historic, and worth saving, varies with the eye of the beholder, but some definition is urgent.
Simply put, "historic" means "old and worth the trouble." It applies to a building that's part of a community's tangible past. And though it might surprise cynics, old buildings can offer opportunities for a community's future.
Preserving these structures, like the Miller Cinemas and Embassy Theatre in Lewistown, are beneficial not only for a community's culture, but also for its local economy.
On April 1, the Miller Cinemas celebrates its 75th anniversary. It has been eons since the names of Hollywood legends like Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Esther Williams grace its marquee with the newest MGM musical, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." It's been a staple of the downtown area since it opened its doors in 1949. The Miller has stood the test of time - an era when new multiplex theaters were built in areas away from traditional downtowns and left vacant movie storefronts in its wake. Savvy business people like Sherri Burns and Joe Bojtschewsky saw the value of the theater and are working to restore its glory.
The original Miller was a single-screen theater with all 1,242 seats on a single level. The projection booth on the second floor had a cry room on its right and a private viewing room on its left. (A cry room allowed parents to take their children to a sound-proof room where they can still watch the movie but won't disturb others.)
The Miller opened with much fanfare as the words, "Welcome, Mifflin County's Finest!" greeted guests as they entered through the theater doors.
From the 1920s, theatergoers in Lewistown had a choice of venues to see their favorite films - The Rialto, Pastime and Embassy theaters. When the Miller opened, it was larger than its predecessors and represented the new trends in theater design following World War II. It's original auditorium was 65 feet wide and 149 feet from the projection booth to the screen. The décor was post-modern Art-Deco in varied but subdued colors. On opening night, patrons flocked to the theater.
The Miller debuted the first 3-D film in Lewistown in 1953, and later that year, the first CinemaScope film in the area. Through the 1960s and '70s, the Miller remained a single-screen theater.
Eventually, the Miller's large auditorium was divided into three smaller ones in the 1980s. Known as the Miller Cinemas 3, it had a grand reopening in 1981.
In the 1990s, the theater was further divided into the six current theaters, the concession area moved to an adjacent area that was once retail space and the marquee repaired, retaining some of its original look in a simplified form.
That general appearance is something that its current owners will strive to keep, stating, "We want to bring back the original beauty rather than modernize it."
Today, the Miller remains as a dwindling number of smaller downtown theaters are left in the country. It's also a testament that the owners bought the theater for "the sense of community." It's the same argument used with regard to the preservation of Lewistown's other treasures. Once they're gone, they're gone for good. These treasures can't be brought back, and they'll be memorialized by a plaque or mural near where they once stood. But it's not the same.
By seeing historic buildings - whether related to something famous or recognizably dramatic - visitors and longtime residents are able to witness the aesthetic and cultural history of an area.
Just as banks prefer to build stately, old-fashioned facades, even when located in commercial malls, a city needs old buildings to maintain a sense of permanency and heritage.
The preservation of historic buildings, like the Miller Cinemas and Embassy, are a one-way street. There's no chance to renovate or to save a historic site once it's gone. And we can never be certain what will be valued in the future.
This reality brings to light the importance of locating and saving buildings of historic significance - because once a piece of history is removed, it is lost forever.