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to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.Steven Spielberg's childhood movie house could receive historic protection.
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 5:06 pm - by Alan Tu. Filed under: Community.
Steven Spielberg is thought to have seen his first movie "The Greatest Show on Earth" here. The film inspired him to want to make movies/Image credit Neighbors Celebrating Westmont
The movie theater where Steven Spielberg likely watched a few films has been closed down and is a bit tired looking. But before I get to the fight to save this old gem, am I the only one who didn’t know Steven Spielberg once lived in Haddon, New Jersey? It was a surprise to me. I saw that while reading Carrie Rickey’s story yesterday about Spielberg who was named yesterday as this year’s recipient for Philadelphia’s Liberty Medal.
That led me to start searching the web for more stories about the famous film director and Jersey. That’s when I stumbled on a recent news story which indicates that there may be a fight brewing over whether Spielberg’s childhood movie house The Westmont Theater should get historic designation. The story says that a review board has recommended that it be listed on the state historic register.
I should say, the historic designation being sought is not related to whether Spielberg watched movies here or not, rather it is the building’s own architectural significance. It was opened in 1927 and has only been used as a theater.
Recent photos of the Westmont Theater / Image credit Neighbors Celebrating the Westmont
The interesting part in this story is that the preservationists may be opposed by Haddon Township officials over this. According to the Retrospect newspaper, Mayor Randy Teague says the town may oppose designation efforts because there’s no money to renovate the theater and historic designation may just add another obstacle to making that happen.
The preservationists have put up a website that is documenting their efforts to get The Westmont Theater historic protection on both the state and national levels. I found a well produced video that makes the case for why it should be saved.
Also, in my search for “Steven Spielberg and Haddon, NJ” and think I narrowed down exactly when Steven lived around here. According to the 1997 Spielberg biography by Joseph McBride, his family lived in Haddon from 1952-1957. (kindergarten through 4th grade) While in Haddon, McBride says the family lived at 267 Crystal Terrace. It also mentions that the Spielberg family lived in Camden before that for a very short period.
So, if the fans of The Westmont Theater were really savvy, they’d think of a way to get Steven to visit his old movie house and maybe share some of that $100,000 that comes with the Liberty Medal.
He’ll be at the National Constitution Center to pick up his prize on October 8.
Anyone have any memories of watching movies at The Westmont?
Is it worth saving?
From developer’s point-of-view, does a building that has historic protection make it less desirable?
Special thanks to WHYY’s Robin Bloom for helping track some of this down.
August 5th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Thanks for the link to your posting. I just wanted to respond to one of your questions. It’s my understanding that historic designation is a mixed bag for developers. On the one hand, it’s pretty cool to be able to advertise your theater/lobby/restaurant/reception room as officially “historical”. Gives you some cred. On the other hand, if you want to alter your building you could be forced to jump through hoops that make you want to strangle somebody. For instance: the plexiglass spire of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed synagogue in Elkins Park leaks, and the interior lighting is so dim that on cloudy days its almost impossible to read the Torah. However, if they wanted to replace the plexi with glass or change the lighting design, they have to seek permission from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Arizona. Another case: the furniture and entire interior decor of the Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan is protected by historic designation, right down to the china. That’s right - the pattern on the plates is protected, which no doubt puts pressure on the kitchen dishwasher’s soapy fingers.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I don’t want to hijack the thread but I will offer my completely “un-expert” opinion on historical designation before I get to my other point. Peter brings up some great examples of how preservation policies can become a burden in the general care and upkeep of many buildings (love the Four Seasons example!) Sure, I lament the loss of some really cool buildings - Stotesbury Mansion in Erdenheim, the actual “President’s House,” - and I’m thankful that some - Independence Hall - were rescued from potential demolition by neglect in the 1800s. But I also wonder if we go a little too far - especially in this town of “living history” - and get in the way of smart, well planned progress. I also wonder if it can’t send some kind of cool symbol about the appreciation of the past and the embrace of the future by doing things like putting solar panels on Independence Hall.
Ok… my “other point” is about movie theaters themselves. Single or double screen, old school movie “palaces” are at the top of my list of things that should be preserved or even brought back. As we try to reorganize the built environment to make driving less necessary by redeveloping walkable neighborhoods, we should consider reopening or developing a few such places to serve the local areas. Of course there are tons of reasons why this wouldn’t be financially sustainable but one can dream, right?
By the way, here’s a great site that catalogs thousands of such theaters all over the country and lists whether they are still in use, still standing, converted to something else or gone for good.
August 8th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
A small point: Although the full and correct name for the municipality where the Westmont Theater is located is “Township of Haddon,” it is usually referred to as “Haddon Township,” not “Haddon.” Locals call it “Township” or, less often, “Twp” (pronounced twip).