Westmont Theater

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The Westmont Theater opened in 1927 with 1,600 seats. The building was designed by architect William Wrifford, whose firm is credited with designing a few other south Jersey structures.

The theater showed silent films alongside what some say was the largest organ in New Jersey at the time. A short 14 years later, the Warner Brothers corporation bought out the theater and closed it. 

It wasn't until 1948 that the theater was renovated into a 1200 seat movie house. Prominant Philadelphia area architect William Harold Lee was tasked with modernizing the theater. Lee designed and remodeled over 100 theaters over the years, many of which were in southern New Jersey. 

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Four years later, Steven Speilburg would attend "the Greatest Show On Earth" at the theater. Spielberg himself has cited that movie as part of what inspired him to become a director. 

The building was twinned  in 1978, and lasted until 1986 before closing once again. A group moved into the theater in 1990, performing live shows for almost a decade until the town bought the theater in 1999 and closed it. 

I stopped to take some photos of the long abandoned theater building back in 2014. I had just picked up some food nearby and I didn't have my proper camera with me. I walked along the side of the building and found one of the large fire doors slightly ajar. With only my cell phone for light and photos, I popped inside and took a quick walk around. 

A few years passed and I happened upon a news article about the theater. Work had begun in 2016 to convert the theater into a Planet Fitness location. The entire structure was gutted including the sloped auditorium flooring. Despite that, the beautiful facade of the theater was painstakingly restored. Even the marquis was tenderly revived, glowing 24 hours a day since the gym rarely closes. 

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This is a perfect example of what can be done with a blighted historic building , even in an advanced state of decay. The interior of the building was a complete loss, it would have been very easy for the developers to claim hardship and have the building demolished. Instead the building can continue to serve the community for years to come.