Strand Theater (Zelienople)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.thestrandtheater.org
Strand Theater

Address	119 North Main Street
City	Zelieople, Pennsylvania
Country	United States
Owned by	Non-profit Organization
Capacity	350
Opened	1914
Rebuilt	2008
Closed	mid 1980s
Current use	Under Restoration

The Strand Theater is a community center in the borough of Zelienople, Pennsylvania. The structure is currently under restoration, and there are plans to reopen it by the fall of 2008.

[edit] History

The building was constructed in 1914 along Main Street (U.S. Route 19) in downtown Zelienople. It is one of the oldest movie theaters in Butler County. The theater was not only used for showing feature films, but was also used as a performing arts center. The Strand closed down in the early 1980s and sat abandoned for nearly two decades. In 2001, the Strand Theater Initiative was formed by the residents of Zelienople and surrounding communities in hopes of saving the structure. Over the next four years, the initiative would set up certain activities in the area to help with the fundraising. By 2006, enough funds were collected to start the renovation process.

In the summer of 2007, work began on the interior of the theater, as the floor and seats were removed for the building restoration. A complete rebuilding of the structure is expected to begin in the spring of 2008 with last minute touches being applied in the summer. The Strand Theater Inititiative hopes to have the theater reopened by the following autumn.