National Register of Historic Places

Little Theatre

Rochester, Monroe County, New York
Listed
October 3, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85002860

About this property

The Little Theatre, commonly known as The Little, is a movie theatre located on East Avenue in downtown Rochester, New York, and a non-profit multiplex specializing in art film, including independent and foreign productions outside the United States. Founded in 1929, The Little is one of the oldest theaters for art-house cinema in the United States. Since 2011, the Little Theatre has been an affiliate of the WXXI Public Broadcasting Council, a non-profit community organization which owns and operates the region's principal public radio and television stations. The Little has served as a performance venue during the Rochester International Jazz Festival held annually in June. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the building was closed and the theater switched to an online format, streaming independent films from its website. Since 2021, the Little Theatre has been home to the High Falls Film Festival, a monthly series focused on celebrating women in film. In 2022, the theater received the Excellence in Historic Preservation award from the Preservation League of New York State for restoration work of its interior, which aimed to match the original 1929 appearance of the theater as closely as possible while improving its accessibility.

Location

240 East Ave.
Rochester, Monroe County, New York
43.15598, -77.59744

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

University Club
Industrial
0.1 mi
Brown, Adam, Block
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0.2 mi
Dewey, Chester, School No. 14
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0.3 mi
Grove Place Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Sibley Triangle Building
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Little Theatre listed on the National Register?

Little Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 3, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Little Theatre?

Little Theatre is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Little Theatre?

The period of significance for Little Theatre is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Little Theatre?

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