APPELL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS COMMEMORATES 100 YEARS OF ITS “CAPITOL THEATRE”

APPELL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

COMMEMORATES 100 YEARS OF ITS “CAPITOL THEATRE”
 

From dance hall to digital screen, the Capitol Theatre keeps York entertained
 

In the lobby of York’s Capitol Theatre, a line from another century still greets today’s audiences:

“Our true intent is for your delight.” The words, borrowed from a 1925 newspaper advertisement,

appear on the mirror behind the Capitol’s concessions counter and are a fitting motto for a building

that has spent its lifetime changing with the times while holding on to its place in downtown York’s

cultural life.
 

The Capitol Theatre’s story began in 1906 as The Theatorium, a dance hall and entertainment

space which aligned well during a time when live entertainment, public gatherings and the earliest

motion pictures often shared the same rooms. Within a few years, the theatre became known for

its film events, and in 1908 R.L. Jackson expanded the venue by connecting it with space in the

adjoining Bacon building (part of the footprint of the future Strand Theatre). The press described it

as one of the largest places to see motion pictures in the region. The renamed Jackson Theatre

showed how quickly York, like the rest of the country, was adjusting to this new form of

entertainment.
 

In 1917, as films drew larger crowds, The Jackson underwent a major renovation that added a

balcony and a raked floor, eliminating support poles to further improve sightlines. The project turned the venue into a more serious film house, built not simply to host audiences but to immerse

them in the experience.
 

In the spring of 1926, Nathan Appell acquired The Jackson. Appell Enterprises operated other

major York entertainment venues, including the York Opera House and the Orpheum, and opened

the larger Strand Theatre next door in 1925. The new Capitol Theatre reopened on August 9, 1926,

with a screening of “The Black Pirate” featuring Douglas Fairbanks. With the addition of the Capitol,

Appell strengthened the downtown York entertainment district, offering movies, touring acts and

public events within a few city blocks.
 

Among the other architectural enhancements, Appell’s renovation of the Capitol included the

installation of a Wurlitzer pipe organ to accompany silent films. (“Talkies” arrived nationally in 1927

starting with “The Jazz Singer” .) A similar “Mighty Wurlitzer” remains in use today at the Capitol

Theatre and is performed by members of the Susquehanna Valley Theatre Organ Society prior to

most film screenings.
 

The Capitol Theatre continued operating through ownership changes and shifting entertainment

preferences. In 1930, among other properties, Louis Appell sold the Strand and Capitol Theatres to

Warner Bros., part of the Hollywood studio system’s nationwide expansion into local movie

houses. Once downtown anchors, the Capitol and Strand Theatres struggled for audience attention

after World War II as suburban growth, shopping centers and multiplex theaters began multiplying.

By the mid-1960s, attendance had declined, and by 1977 both of downtown York’s theaters closed.

The dream of preserving these beloved theatres became a community-wide effort, with several

local leaders, organizations and advocates working together to save, renovate and reopen them as

the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in 1980.
 

The arts center received a major restoration in the early 2000s, strengthening its role as a regional

performing arts destination. It was during this renovation that the Capitol’s classic “proscenium

arch” was discovered behind a wall that was installed at a previous time. In 2018, the Capitol

Theatre was extensively renovated to modernize the 450-seat theater yet preserving its historic

feel. The work included a digital cinema projector, surround sound, an automated screen, new

seating, renovated restrooms, an accessible restroom on the lobby level, a new concessions area

and improved circulation for guests. Original architectural details from the 1920s remained, the

proscenium arch retained its gold-leaf highlights and small painted murals uncovered above the

concessions area were conserved.
 

Today, the Capitol Theatre is a vibrant part of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, hosting

films, concerts, education programs, comedy, organ programs, community events and more.
 

Generations of families have entered the Capitol Theatre to experience something new. For 100

years, the Capitol Theatre has continued to adapt to the needs of those audiences, from reel-to-

reel films to digital files, balcony rebuilds and lobby upgrades, silent films and modern sound

systems.

100 years young, the Capitol Theatre is still doing what that mirrored phrase promises: offering

delight as it continues to welcome generations of families to experience the power of the live

performing arts.
 

About the Appell Center for the Performing Arts:
 

The Appell Center for the Performing Arts enriches the community through performing arts,

education, and entertainment. Featuring two historic theaters—the 1,262-seat Strand Theatre, just

celebrated its Centennial Season, and the 450-seat Capitol Theatre, celebrating 100 years this

summer—the Appell Center is a home for all your stages, offering some of the biggest names in

live, professional performing arts along with impactful education programs.
 

For more information and official images:
 

Debra Volz, Director of Marketing

Appell Center for the Performing Arts

717-825-2231

dvolz@appellcenter.org