Hartford CT's Forgotten Movie Theater: the Empire

This video is about an early movie theater in Hartford, Connecticut that existed on Asylum Street from 1912 until 1927. The Empire Theater was a conversion of a former Methodist Church that was built in 1860. Stories in this video include tales from the snow storm of 1915, a boy who fell asleep and was locked in the theater, and the acrimonious end of the Empire.
#hartford #hartfordct #movietheaters #churches #connecticut
Check out my website:
historicbuildingsct.com
Some of the images used in this video are from the collections of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History:
Asylum Street looking east, Hartford
hdl.handle.net/...
Accession number 1987.108.3
Asylum Street looking east from High Street, Hartford, ca. 1920
hdl.handle.net/...
Accession number 1995.36.1130
South side of Asylum Street, Hartford
hdl.handle.net/...
Accession number 1956.84.8
Front of old First Methodist Episcopal Church torn out to make room for a store, 305 Asylum Street, Hartford
hdl.handle.net/...
Accession number 2000.201.1
Train in snow, Winsted, Connecticut
emuseum.chs.org...
Accession number 2015.87.2685-.2686
Trolley in the snow, Park Street, Hartford
emuseum.chs.org...
Accession number 2000.195.9
Check out these links:
Hartford’s Challenge to “The Birth of a Nation”: connecticuthis...
Schoen v. New Britain Trust Co.: casetext.com/c...

[@johnrubino7604]

The building became an Indoor miniature golf course, called The Country Club in 1930! Wow, great piece of history Dan!

[@Hadd13]

great video Dan

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@solmorales7449]

I love the history, I think what you do is a good job, I would love to see more photos of what Hartford was like before, I know they were all Italian, Irish, what a nice story of what it was like before😀

[@flight4951]

Another great video

[@bsibc791184]

Love your videos!!! ❤

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@bigdaddysantos]

Dare I correct Dan, @4:57? The Episcopal Methodist Church is at the corner of Farmingtion (not Asylum) avenue and South Whitney! The first error in all your videos, me thinks :) ! Loved learning about the Empire....

[@historywithdansterner263]

Ooops! Thanks for noticing that. Too bad I can't correct a video as easily as I could a blog post :(

[@mikaglea]

One if your best, Dan

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@TheMINIac]

Your video has no audio. Not hearing anything and I have volume at full blast.

[@bomaracev]

I wonder what happened to that kid. Did he lose his love of movies after that?!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Well, they didn't have TV yet then so if he wanted to watch he had to go to a theater!

[@junkandthangs]

I’m still trying to figure out which one was the Scratch House

[@historywithdansterner263]

The Star/Daly Theater, according to comments from people on Facebook.

[@junkandthangs]

@@historywithdansterner263 ok, I’ll ask my uncle as well if he can remember

[@junkandthangs]

Dan Da Man