Built 1928 NRHP Reference # 83000591 Opened 1928 Added to NRHP 1 September 1983 | Built by George H. Reed Designated CP October 13, 1988 Area 2,428 m² | |
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Architectural style Colonial Revival architecture | ||
The Garden Theater Block is a historic commercial block and theater at 353-367 Main Street in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The Colonial Revival block was built in 1928, and movies were first shown in the theater in 1929. The theater had, at its greatest extent, a seating capacity of over 1,800, and was richly decorated with garden-themed carpeting and murals of New England scenes by noted theater muralist Frederick Marshall. It also featured a marquee with Tiffany-inspired design, but as the building deteriorated it was removed and placed in storage. The block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and included in the Main Street Historic District in 1988.
The theater was operated by the Goldman family for 70 years, closing in 1999. The city thereafter took the property in a tax proceeding, but the Goldmans were able to recover it through further legal action. The theater was then divided into seven smaller theaters, and its murals were covered over. The Goldmans leased the theater operation out, and the lessees acquired the property in 2008, with further plans for rehabilitation.