OUR HISTORICAL THEATER IS IN IMMINENT DANGER
This website is dedicate to the preservation and restoration of our city's historical theater: The Oneonta Theater on Chestnut Street, in downtown Oneonta, New York.
"Every downtown had one. It was the grand old opera house or the movie palace built in the bustle of the city center. In the late 1800s and the early 1900s, these venues served as the heart of entertainment in most communities. Such theaters were great places for first dates or for catching the newest flick. Sadly, these historic treasures have begun to fade away. The creation of “talkies” signaled the demise of opera houses. Single screen theaters, unable to compete with the multi-screen, big box theaters have ceased their cinemagraphic functions, becoming venues for other uses. In many cases, owners have stripped the equipment, leaving just the shell of a building. Despite our fascination with cars, even the drive-in theaters have largely been unable to survive. Consequently, the last quarter of the twentieth century has witnessed the endangerment of these theaters that were once a staple of our society."
Historic Theater Initiative