Rowland Theater, Historic movie theater in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, US.
The Rowland Theater is a listed movie theater on North Front Street in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, with a symmetrical brick facade, decorative patterns, and a vaulted ceiling with original murals. The building holds around 400 seats and has been fitted with modern projection equipment while keeping the original architectural details in place.
Charles Hedding Rowland built the theater in 1917 on the site where the Pierce Opera House once stood, replacing the town's main entertainment venue with a purpose-built movie cinema. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The Rowland Theater still runs a single screen and hosts local events throughout the year. For people in Philipsburg, it remains one of the few shared gathering places where the early cinema experience still feels present.
The theater sits in central Philipsburg and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of downtown. Accessible seating is available for visitors who need it, so it is worth checking in advance before you arrive.
Behind the stage, eleven dressing rooms from the original construction are still in place, a reminder that the building was designed to host live performances as well as films. A stained glass skylight above the hall lets natural daylight into the space during the day, which is rarely seen in cinemas of this type.
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