Royal Theater
National Register of Historic Places

Royal Theater

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
February 8, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80003619

About this property

The Royal Theater was a center of African American culture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in 1919, by the 1930s the theater had earned the reputation as "America's Finest Colored Photoplayhouse". The theater closed in 1970, after attendance dwindled and the threat of the Crosstown Expressway had decimated the neighborhood. (The proposed highway was never built.) In 2000, Kenny Gamble's Universal Companies purchased the Royal, 1522 and 1536 South, buildings on either side of the theater, as well as 1523, 1537 and 1539 Kater St. (the narrow street just south of South) and 1521–1523 South St. (across the street), from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia for $250,000.

Location

1524--1534 South St.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.94379, -75.16794

Categories

ARCHITECTUREPERFORMING ARTS
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

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Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
2.8 mi
Battle of Gloucester (NJ) 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.3 mi
Battle of Barren Hill
1778Revolutionary War
4.4 mi
Fort Mercer (Battle of Red Bank)
1777Revolutionary War
4.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Royal Theater listed on the National Register?

Royal Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 8, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Royal Theater?

Royal Theater is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Royal Theater?

The period of significance for Royal Theater is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1919.

Can I research the history near Royal Theater?

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