Zach Patten : Curbed Philly

Some of my photos from this exploration were featured on Curbed Philly, Streets Dept, and Architect Magazine. But I’ll give you a little more of an insider’s look without needing to worry about falling through the floorboards.

First off, take a look at the interior in its prime.

Here is a similar shot from late 2012. It's tragic to see such a beautiful structure in such a state of decay.

The architectural intricacies are evident here, and I had to take a moment to just stand in amazement at the detail. Nearly everything today goes to the lowest bidder, so we just won't see this type of work again unless it's properly preserved.

I was shocked to see the stained glass windows still in perfect condition. Several windows along the side had been knocked out, exposing the interior to the elements and contributing to its decay. If the church is demolished, I really hope a salvage company comes in to save these.

Apologies for the blurriness, but you can see that this is a page of a newspaper dated December 11, 1926. Eerily enough, demolition was originally set for December 11, 2012 before the most recent set of appeals took place. 

This newspaper was lying on a pile of dismantled pews in what was formerly the center aisle of the church. 

This was shot from the altar facing the main entrance and Spring Garden Street. It's just incredible to me that this was built before the Civil War. 

The main floor was incredibly unstable -- I felt as thought I could fall through to the basement at any moment. Large sections of flooring were missing and a ton of brickwork was exposed, especially at the altar.

For a much closer look at the interior of the Church of the Assumption, spend a few minutes with Matthew Christopher's incredible interactive panoramic shot from the second floor.

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A set of zoning changes were unanimously approved at the building’s 18th & Arch location but construction never began, largely due to the lack of an anchor tenant during the depths of the recent recession. Some will say that a recession is the best time to build due to the potential job creation of construction workers, along with the likelihood that the economy will have shifted by the time construction is completed. However, the American Commerce Center was just too big a pill to swallow for the city of Philadelphia at the time.

On a positive note, the fact that this project received so many approvals is a potential sign of things to come for the city. Liberty Property Trust (who is responsible for the Comcast Center) recently bought the site in August 2011 and has yet to comment on their intentions for the property.

Who knows, maybe we’ll see another exciting proposal like the American Commerce Center shortly.

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2. 120 Bainbridge

Size: 2911 square feet Outdoor Space: Private patio, one parking space Perks: Free plasma television and billiard table! Price: $870,000

Listing: 120 BAINBRIDGE [Weichert]

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3. 2304 Spruce

Size: 4550 square feet Outdoor Space: Close to Fitler Square & Rittenhouse Square Perks: Victorian townhome, built-in bookcases Price: $1,249,500

Listing: 2304 SPRUCE [Prudential Fox & Roach]

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4. 506 Addison

Size: 1836 square feet Outdoor Space: Close to Penn's Landing Perks: Historic Society Hill townhome built in 1760 Price: $849,000

Listing: 506 ADDISON [Prudential Fox & Roach]

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5. 240 Spruce

Size: 2200 square feet Outdoor Space: Close to Penn's Landing Perks: Historic Society Hill townhome built in 1760 Price: $849,000

1. What is the importance of restoring the Boyd?

The Boyd Theatre is Philadelphia’s last premier motion picture palace where Hollywood stars came to celebrate Philadelphia premieres of their films. For its history as a premiere movie palace and also for its unique art-deco interior, the Boyd should be preserved, but it’s not just a question of trying to preserve a historic building. It’s also an opportunity. 

2. Does the Boyd present more of an opportunity for film or for live performances?

If the Boyd were to become a historic Broadway theatre (which is why Clear Channel purchased it in 2005), it could take about $50 million to build a new stage and refurbish the building as a theatre, whereas to build a brand new Broadway theatre in Philadelphia would cost $200-300 million.

Even without Broadway shows, concerts could be held at the Boyd just as many former movie palaces throughout the country. It’s also an opportunity for world premieres of locally filmed movies. Movie premieres generate a great deal of excitement in a city because there’s all the activity of the Hollywood stars arriving in their limousines, there’s the spotlight on the sidewalk and the facade. But there’s no great venue to host them with any viable number of people coming. 

3. With so many other American cities boasting a restored movie palace of their own, why doesn’t Philadelphia have one?

Ironically, movie palaces were open for longer in Philadelphia than many other cities. Until relatively recently, the vast majority of cities in America had gone fairly quiet before revitalization, so there were only about half a dozen real vibrant downtowns across the country (Philadelphia being one of them). One explanation is simply that many of our movie theaters were open as movie theaters and continued with that purpose. The other explanation is that there’s been some concern about competition since the creation of the Kimmel Center. 

4. How rare is it for a major city like Philadelphia to be without a restored theatre like the Boyd?

Going around the country, Boston has at least three historic movie palaces downtown. Cleveland has five on Playhouse Square. Pittsburgh has at least two. Washington, D.C. and Baltimore have one each downtown. Chicago has three in the loop downtown, and the list just goes on and on. 

It’s just unheard of for a major city not to have one. Go into the Barnes & Noble and look at the travel books. Every book will talk about a saved and restored 1920s movie palace that now hosts a variety of events. Every one of them!

For more information on the Boyd, visit The Friends of the Boyd. For more photos of theaters like this all across the country, visit After the Final Curtain by photographer Matt Lambros.

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