The Hanover Theater

The Hanover Theater. . , For Sale , The Hanover Theater opened in 1928 as the State Theater and operated as a movie theater until 1986. It was then used as a warehouse until October of 2007 when a preservation group purchased it to protect it from inappropriate development. The preservation group partnered with another group which was supposed to restore the theater. The theater was stabilized to protect it from further deterioration but the restoration was never started. The preservation group is now selling the theater so that new owners can begin the restoration and help keep the revitalization of Downtown Hanover moving forward., A Photo Tour , Even though the theater is over 80 years old, not much has changed inside. Some of the decorative plasterwork has been repainted and some has been damaged, but the vast majority of it looks just like it did in 1928 when the theater opened., These photos give a glimpse of how it looks today, just imagine how it will look when it is restored!, Photos courtesy of Pat Plein, Stacie Johnson-Leske and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences., Second Lobby , The second lobby has a sloped terrazzo floor which leads to the doors to the third lobby. The arched openings on the flying bridge lead to the owner's balcony. The green color scheme is not original as the walls were probably an adobe color., Looking Through the Front Doors , A view through the front doors into the second lobby. There are 4 pairs of doors leading from the first lobby (under the marquee) to the second lobby., Stained Glass Balcony , Each sidewall of the Second lobby features an elegant faux doorway with stained glass windows. The second lobby was decorated to resemble an outdoor courtyard and these elevated doorways were intended to mimic balconies above. The ceiling has faux beams which were originally woodgrained and the ceiling was sky blue. The walls of the second lobby were probably an adobe color., Fresco in the Second Lobby , A portion of the fresco above the doors from the second lobby to the third lobby. This is often referred to as the "nice" fresco as the other is a little "naughty". Arthur Brounet may have designed both frescoes as they both have themes he is known for., Candy Island , In 1928 theaters did not have snack bars. The storefront on the left side of the theater was occupied by the "State Theater Candy Shop" which sold treats for people to take into the theater. Later on, vending machines were installed in the third lobby. In the early 1950's Candy Island was installed, mainly because the nearby Park Theater had installed a snack bar and the State Theater had to keep up with them., Original Seat , The only surviving original seat, when the theater opened in 1928 there were 967 seats.