When it snows, Bowie goes... sometimes

The snow and the ice from the latest winter storm caused multiple closures in the Bowie area this weekend.  The Bowie Race Course, however, once prided itself on staying open despite harsh winter weather.  "When it snows, Bowie goes," was the catch phrase that was used to indicate that horse racing would still take place during bad weather.  The reluctance of track official to cancel races at the track once caused hundreds of fans to be stranded at the track overnight.

Despite the reputation, the track did close on occasion, including the days following the "Blizzard of '66," but the track was impacted by more than just the storm that day. An early morning fire destroyed five barns and resulted in the deaths of more than 40 horses.Wind gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour fanned the flames, and caused the fire to spread quickly.

Firefighters took more than 30 minutes to navigate the snow covered roads along the way to the track. According to Robert Nelson of the Bowie Volunteer Fire Department, crews from the station had to push a stranded car from the roadway and shovel their way through three separate snow drifts in order to get their apparatus to the track.

Arriving personnel found a chaotic scene. Flames were shooting high into the air, and panicked horses and ice made for a hazardous situation.

Approximately 100 horses were let loose in an effort to save as many lives as possible. Some horses were later found roaming at the Belair Shopping Center and Glenn Dale Hospital.

This picture was taken on February 4th, 1966 during the first day in operation after the storm.  Some fans stood among the snow piles watching the final stretch of the fifth race of the day.

Thanksgiving Day in Bowie, 1936

How are you spending your Thanksgiving day?  In 1936, there were no football games on television, but there was horse racing in Bowie.  This picture was taken at the Bowie Race Course on Thanksgiving day, 1936.

This picture was also taken on Thanksgiving day, 1936 at the Bowie Race Course.  Apprentice jockey Ira Hanford is sitting on Piccolo after winning the Thanksgiving Handicap.  The 18 year-old Hanford made history earlier that year by becoming the first apprentice jockey to ever win the Kentucky Derby.  Hanford won the "Run for the Roses" while riding a 20-1 long shot - Bold Venture.  Handford's Kentucky Derby win came one year after Belair Stable's Omaha won the Derby and the other two legs of the Triple Crown.

The Four Degrees of Separation between Philip Seymour Hoffman and the Belair Mansion

Philip Seymour Hoffman played the part of Truman Capote in the 2005 movie “Capote.”

In 1975, Truman Capote wrote a short story called “La Côte Basque 1965” that appeared in Esquire magazine. Although the story was technically fiction, Capote let it be known that it was about high society socialite Ann Woodward. The pending publication of the story drove Ann Woodward to commit suicide.

Ann Woodward was married to Billy Woodward. She killed her husband in 1955 in an incident that Life magazine called “The Shooting of the Century.”

Billy Woodward became owner of the Belair Estate, including the Belair Mansion, in 1953 upon the death of his father, William Woodward, Sr.

Bowie in the American Revolutionary War

Most people know that George Washington crossed the Delaware River, but who marched down Route 450 (or what would eventually become Route 450 in Bowie) during the American Revolutionary War?  It was Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, the Compte de Rochambeau, along with more than 5,700 French soldiers under his command on their way to meet up with George Washington for what would become a decisive battle against the British in Yorktown, Virginia.

The annual commemoration of Rochambeau’s March will take place this Saturday from noon to 4pm at the Belair Mansion.  Read more in this article by Pam Williams, the Historic Properties Manager for the City of Bowie


Bowie in the American Revolution!
by Pam Williams
Historic Properties Manager for the City of Bowie

In July of 1780, French troops sent by King Louis XVI landed in Naragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island.  Commanded by Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, the Compte de Rochambeau, the army numbered 450 officers and 5, 300 men.  Those troops made their way to Yorktown, Virginia, along a combination of strategic roads and waterways, reaching Williamsburg in September of 1781.  Their invaluable contribution to the three week siege of Yorktown resulted in the surrender of British General Cornwallis to George Washington on October 19, 1781.


As has long been acknowledged, an army travels on its stomach!   This army was no exception – and it needed to be fed.   As the army travelled south, the General’s wagon train did as well – via what we know today to be Route 450!   In September, 1781, approximately 200 wagons, artillery, and approximately 3,600 oxen (for future dining!) and horses – after camping at “Easton’s Plantation” (Sacred Heart/Whitemarsh) made their way past Belair Mansion on their way to Georgetown to cross the Potomac and head south.  The journal of Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1781, describes the route:  “You leave John Easton’s house by a road that reenters the Georgetown Highway 200 paces (1/4 mile) farther on.  You pass quite a fine house on the left…” That fine house was Belair.

Join the City of Bowie Museums in our annual commemoration of this important part of our nation’s past.  On Saturday, August 24, from Noon-4:00 p.m., join both British and American forces as they drill, skirmish and discuss camp life with visitors.  Several “purveyors” of colonial groceries, jewelry, prints and clothing will have items for sale inside the Mansion…and the local 18th century ladies will be gathered in the Hall for sewing and 18th century gossip.  Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the past!

Belair Mansion, which is handicapped accessible, is located at 12207 Tulip Grove Drive in Bowie, Maryland. (Exit 11 N from US 50 E/W).  Rochambeau’s March is free, no reservations are required.  For further information, please call 301-809-3089 or email:  museumevents@cityofbowie.org

Bowie Museum Acquires Portrait of Former Belair Resident Catherine Ogle Goodrich

Portrait of Catherine Ogle Goodrich acquired by City of Bowie

A portrait of an Ogle family member who lived at Belair was recently purchased by the City of Bowie. Read more in this article by Pam Williams, the Historic Properties Manager for the City of Bowie.

Homecoming in July!

Welcome home, Catherine Ogle Goodrich!

One of Belair Mansion’s loveliest 19th century residents has come home – and a new painting graces the mansion parlor! 

Born  at Belair on July 9, 1810, to Benjamin Ogle II, and his wife, Anna Maria Cooke Ogle,  Catherine Ogle Goodrich  was the 9th child in a family of 10 girls and 4 boys.  In 1838, she married the Rev. Charles Goodrich, a native of Watertown, Connecticut.  Immediately after her Belair wedding, the couple departed for New Orleans, where Charles had been appointed Rector of St. Paul’s Church.  

During their marriage, the Goodriches had no children; Catherine died in Baltimore in 1848, after a “painful and lingering illness.”  She is buried there, in the famous Greenmount Cemetery.

While her remains rest at Greenmount, Catherine has returned to Belair in the form of a lovely portrait, painted c. 1834, by the noted American artist, Charles Bird King.  A lovely, dark haired young woman, whose bared shoulders are draped in red fabric, she bears a strong family resemblance to her ancestor, colonial Governor Samuel Ogle. The portrait had been in the collection of the Valentine Richmond History Center,  and upon the Valentine’s decision to de-accession the painting,  it became available for purchase by the City’s Historic Properties & Museums Division.

Catherine has returned home in time for her birthday on July 9!  After July 1, she will be on exhibit at the Mansion for several months, while staff plans her restoration and conservation for the future.  Please visit and wish her welcome -  and Happy Birthday.  Surely she would agree there’s no place like home!

Belair Mansion is located at 12207 Tulip Grove Drive and is open to the public (free of charge) Tuesday through Sunday from Noon-4:00p.m.  For information, call 301-809-3089, or email:   museumevents@cityofbowie.org

Ghost at the Belair Mansion?

I received the first edition of a new magazine called Bowie Life in the mail last Saturday.  It's published by a company called Hibu, an international organization that also owns YellowBook USA.  I suspect that there must also be a Laurel Life magazine, an Annapolis Life magazine as well as countless others.

The magazine is heavy on the advertisements, including ads from local businesses like Rips, Golden Pavilion and Beall Funeral Home.  It contains general interest stories on topics like personal finance, real estate and health.  Local Bowie stories and announcements are also included. I learned from one article that the Bowie Interfaith Food Pantry is moving to the Kenhill Center.  That was news to me.

Bowie Life asks readers to submit photos and articles to be included in future editions of the magazine.  This edition included a story called "Messages from Beyond the Grave" that was submitted by Rob Gutro, a self described local resident, scientist and ghost hunter.  Gutro can be seen on the cover wearing his "I'm With Ghost" shirt.

In the article, Gutro describes his first visit to the Belair Mansion during a candlelight tour one December.  He instantly got a headache when he walked through the door to the mansion - something that happens to Gutro when he's in the presence of a ghost or spirit.  A little girl approached Gutro.  She told him that she wanted to play in her room, and she pointed toward the stairs.  There was a room on the second floor setup like a nursery, and the girl's ghost told Gutro that the nursery was her room.  No one else on the tour saw the little girl.

Gutro wanted to know the identify of the little girl.  He asked one of the tour guides if a little girl had died in the house.  According to Gutro, the tour guide recommended that he talk to the "house historian," and Gutro took the advice.  He learned that a two year old girl named Anna Marie Ogle had lived and died in the house (1849-1851), and that she was buried in the cemetery at the edge of the Belair Mansion property.  In a different account of the same story on his blog, Gutro's told how his body rapidly heated in the presence of the little girl, and he began to perspire.  Gutro believes that Anna Marie Ogle was sharing the experience of her death, which must have been accompanied by a high fever.

I had never heard of anyone at the mansion described as a "house historian," so I thought I would try to corroborate the details in Gutro's stories with available reference materials.  I confirmed that Anna Marie Ogle did live from 1849 to 1851, and she is buried at the cemetery on the mansion grounds along with her mother, but I found little information about her in the books that I own.

I decided to ask for help from Pam Williams, the Historic Properties Manager for the City of Bowie.  Not only is she an authority on the history of the Belair Mansion and property, but she has had an office in the mansion since 1996.

The Belair property in the mid 1800s was divided into different sections, Ms. Williams explained, and the mansion was just one of several houses on the property.  There was a section known as Bladen, and the house for Bladen was approximately located on the present day site of the Kenilworth Elementary School playground.  Young Anna Marie Ogle and her family lived in the Bladen house, and her aunt, uncle and cousins lived in the mansion.  History is full of uncertainties, and according to Pam Williams, it's possible that Anna Marie Ogle was either born in the mansion or died at the mansion, but it's highly unlikely.

It also turns out that Pam Williams had spoken with Gutro in the past.  He wanted to bring a team of ten people into Belair Mansion to hunt for ghosts, and he offered to donate $150 to the museum for the opportunity.  Pam Williams declined the offer.  Ms. Williams shared the following with Bowie Living.

This house has a long and interesting history on a stand alone history basis.  Lots of people lived here, and lots of people likely died here as well.  I do NOT like to promote “haunting.”  First, having been here since 1996, alone at night and during the day, in spite of saying “Hey, if you guys are here, come talk to me," I have NEVER seen a spirit – or had one approach me.  I’ve had a few headaches here myself over the  years, but they have more to do with budget planning and this kind of stuff than the presence of the dead.  We don’t need an audience delivered by thrill-seekers attempting to dive into the paranormal.    Second.   This house was home to many people.  I feel, on some level, that this is disrespectful to them.  Third.  We don't need $150 that badly.   These were real people, they lived here, and they had peace here.  I think they’re entitled to respect when they’re dead, too.  I’m sure he’s very serious in his study.  We’re just not going to exploit a dead child – or anyone else dead. 

So who was the young girl that approached Gutro in the mansion?  I encourage everyone to visit the mansion, and if you're approached by the spirit of a deceased girl, ask for her name.

The Belair Mansion is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 4pm.

Lifetime Bowie Resident Gabriel "Flick" Nalley Passes Away at 95

Lifetime Bowie resident Gabriel “Flick” Nalley passed away this week. He was 95. My condolences go out to the Nalley and Kuciemba families.

Family members lost a father, an uncle, a grandfather and a great grandfather, and the community lost a window into local history.

Flick Nalley was born in 1917 on the Belair Farm where his father worked. He later became the farm’s Assistant Manager with duties that included overseeing the tobacco and corn crops.

Levitt’s purchase of the property forced Nalley to leave the farm. Nalley moved his house on Belair to a new location on Forest Drive. Levitt suggested that it would be cheaper for Nalley to purchase one of the new Levitt houses, but Nalley wanted more open space because he was “used to living on a 2300 acre farm.” Two stone pillars that once greeted guests at an entrance to the Belair Farm can be seen today on Forest Drive at the end of Nalley’s driveway.

Nalley later worked for Levitt during the development of Belair at Bowie.

Jeff Krulik filmed this interview with Flick Nalley a couple of years ago. I posted this over the summer, but thought it was worth posting again.

Click here to See Flick Nalley’s obituary.

Twin Houses in Old Bowie

These two houses on the corner of Maple Avenue and 9th Street in Old Bowie are known as the Twin Houses.  According to the Huntington Heritage Society, these are probably the two oldest houses in Old Bowie.  They were originally owned by the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad to house employees.

When the railroad junction in present day Old Bowie was in the planning stages, a land speculator purchased approximately 300 acres of land.  A surveyor was hired to layout a new community to be called Huntington City.  The plans included a grid of streets, parks, and narrow residential lots 2500 square feet in size.  Each of the twin houses sits on one of those lots.  These lots were advertised for $25 each in 1870 ($30 if paying over a six month period).  Some people purchased multiple contiguous lots in order to build larger houses.


Huntington City became the Town of Bowie, and then later part of the City of Bowie.

The house on the right is for sale with a list price of $225,000 (as of August, 2012).

Share your Bowie Memories!

The City of Bowie is encouraging current and former Bowie residents to come and share their Bowie memories in an informal setting on Wednesday, August 24th from 10am to noon at the Bowie Senior Center, 14900 Health Center Drive in Bowie. Refreshments will be served.

Bowie's Historic Property Manager, Pam Williams, will be on hand to facilitate the discussion. The city has created a historical timeline of events, and participants are encouraged to fill in any gaps. A sign-up sheet will also be available for people interested in being interviewed for an oral history of Bowie.

Click here for more information.

Photos of Bowie Maryland 1973 through 1975 by Arnie Miles is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States
License

View Larger Map

Dinosaur Park

An area of land that runs parallel to U.S. Route 1 between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore has been dubbed Dinosaur Alley, and it is believed to hold "one of the largest concentrations of dinosaur fossils on the East Coast." Fossils from the Early Cretaceous Period (about 100 millions years ago) can be found in this section of Maryland.



Dinosaur Park opened in the Muirkirk section of Laurel, Maryland last year as a joint venture between the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and developer Jackson-Shaw. The park provides an opportunity for amateur paleontologists to search for fossils under the guidance of scientists and other volunteers.


The park sits at the end of Mid Atlantic Boulevard at the back of a business park known as The Brick Yard. Iron ore was mined and processed for hundreds of years on the land near the park entrance, and a brickyard operated at the location until 1990. Developer Jackson-Shaw purchased the brickyard property in 2005. Although the M-NCPPC acquired land adjacent to the Jackson-Shaw property to protect some of the fossil rich area, the M-NCPPC property lacked good public access, and the fossils were only exposed on the Jackson-Shaw property. Jackson-Shaw came through with a $1 million land donation to Prince George's County, and the developer spent $125,000 to help create the park. A security fence was installed to protect the sensitive area, and some species of plants and trees that would have been found at the site 100 million years ago were planted.


The park entrance features signs containing a brief history of the site and information about dinosaurs in Maryland. Visitors can read these signs while waiting for the next instructional session to start.

On the day we visited Dinosaur Park, amatuer paleontologist Dave Hacker (pictured above in the chair) introduced guests to the park.

Hacker told us that most of these fossils were found at the Dinosaur Park site. Many were found by him.

Dinosaur Ribs. Different sections of the bottom rib were found on different visits to the site, and they were later discovered to fit together.

Crocodylian Teeth and Dermal Armor

Fossil Sequoia Pinecones. Sequioa trees were present on the site about 100 million years ago. Hacker said that one of the more common fossil discoveries on the site are the fossils of Sequoia pinecones.

A sign at the park describes the plants and environment around the area 100 million years ago as follows:

If you were standing here 100 million years ago, you would see forest and swamps with a variety of shades of green and some browns. The forest floor would be completely carpeted with plants, and the swampy areas may have had some water lily-like plants. Rivers and streams slowly flowed along meandering paths to the ocean. Though today the plants are different, the environment during dinosaur times was similar to that of southern Louisiana today.

Gastroliths or Stone Gizzards. Gastroliths are stones in the gastrointestinal tract of some dinosaurs to help grind food. Gastroliths are polished rocks, but not all polished rocks are gastroliths. Identification can be difficult as rocks can be polished by water or wind. A polished rock may be considered to be a gastrolith if it is found with the bones of a dinosaur or if the small indentations or crevices are not polished. Hacker admitted that there is the possibility that these rocks might not be gastroliths.

Astrodon Teeth. The Astrodon has been recognized as the official dinosaur of Maryland since 1998.

The Dinosaur Park Hall of Fame: items found at the park by visitors since the park's opening last fall. One noticeable omission is the tail bone from a meat eating dinosaur found by 9-year-old Gabrielle Block. Read about her story in this Washington Post article.

Visitors are not allowed to take anything from the park. Items of interest found at the park are put into plastic bags, and the name of the person who discovered each item is recorded. Fossils of greatest significance are offered to the Smithsonian Institution.

Paleontology 101. A group of visitors receives instructions on what to do and what not to do while looking for fossils in the park.

Visitors are not permitted to dig or use any tools while hunting for fossils. Visitors search the surface for fossils that have been exposed by the rain. Hacker said that there had been at least one instance where an uninformed visitor brought shovels and other tools.

A group of visitors to the park search for fossils. The hill in the background contains the fossils. Over time, rain slowly releases the fossils from the hill.

Searching for fossils.

Dr. Peter M. Kranz assists visitors in the park.

Dr. Kranz is one of the most knowledgeable authorities on Maryland dinosaurs. He runs the Dinosaur Fund - a "not-for-profit organization to help raise money for dinosaur research in the National Capital Region," and he has also participated in many dinosaur camps to educate kids about dinosaurs and paleontology. You can read some of his articles here.

I wish I had taken a picture of the front of his t-shirt. It has a picture of an Astrodon with the caption, "Maryland's First Citizen"

Here is a close-up view of side of the hill - just out of reach. Over time, the rain will wash fossils out of the hillside to be discovered by park visitors. It's against the rules to climb at the park.

Remnants of 100 million year old trees that look like burnt wood can be seen all over the park. This picture shows wood embedded in the side of the hill that has been exposed by the rain.

The first thing that I realized when I started scanning the hillside is that I really didn't know what to look for. I found several rocks like this one that had indentations that the expert volunteers said were probably made by plant material. Although I thought that was interesting, when I showed a similar rock to Dave Hacker, he ended the conversation by saying, "let me do the honors," and he threw the rock off to the side.

The surface of this large rock (about 2 feet wide) contains several imprints, including an interesting one on the right/center side of the rock. Dave Hacker said that there has been some discussion of having a rock breaking event where visitors break open rocks found on the site to see what's inside.

According to one of the volunteers (Susan), the indentations on the this rock were probably made by plant material.

The park is open from noon to 4pm on the first and third Saturday of each month (weather permitting). Young kids are welcome. I saw kids as young as three during our visit. I was told that the volunteers sometimes help visitors with a sifting activity. I saw the sifter there on our visit, but it wasn't in use.


Map to Dinosaur Park
13200 Mid Atlantic Blvd


View Larger Map


Additional Resources

• Prince George's Parks Web Page for Dinosaur Park
• The Dinosaur Fund Group Page on Facebook
• Maryland's Dinosaurs - University of Maryland. Contains additional info from Dr. Kranz and others.
  
• Discovery News Video on Dinosaur Park
  
• P.G. Parks article on the dedication of the park.
  
• Baltimore Sun Article: Where the Dinosaurs Once Roamed
• Washington Post Article: Girl hits pay dirt on a fossil hunt with her family
  
• The Sentinel Newspapers Article: New 41-acre Dinosaur Park rocks in Laurel
• Gazette Article: Dinosaur hunters have a home in South Laurel

Gas Stations in Levitt Bowie

Levitt and Sons attempted to have nearly an acre of land rezoned to allow for the operation of a gas station near the intersection of Route 3 and Belair Drive. According to a 1964 Washington Post article, the Prince George's County Commissioner denied the zoning request based on a recommendation from the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. A court battled ensued. The Princes George's County Circuit Court overruled the decision, but the Maryland Court of Appeals reversed the lower court's ruling.




When my in-laws were in the process of buying their first Levitt house in 1962, they were told to avoid buying any house on Keel Turn because a gas station was planned for the intersection of Collington Road and Kenhill Drive. Houses on the western side of Keel Turn were adjacent to the proposed location (the present day location of the Bowie bushes). That plan was also scrapped.



A gas station was built on the corner of Annapolis Road and Stonybrook Drive. According to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, Levitt and Sons sold the property to Mobil Oil Corporation in 1967 for $170,000. That station switched its affiliation from Mobil to Sunoco, and it closed its doors in December, 2009 to make way for a PNC Bank branch.

"Md. Court Rejects Levitt Gas Station," The Washington Post, June 3, 1964

Bowie Levitt Neighborhood Names

Neighborhood Names Significant at Belair is an article published by The Washington Post in 1965 that reveals the origins of the neighborhood names in the early Belair at Bowie development. Former Vice President of Levitt and Sons of Maryland, Inc. James P. Lee was interviewed for the story. The following descriptions were taken directly from the article.

• Foxhill: "The Foxhill neighborhood once echoed with the baying of foxhounds and the horn of the hunt master as Governor Ogle's private pack of hounds searched for the elusive fox."
• Chapel Forge: "Chapel Forge is so named because it is near the site of the original estate's forge, or blacksmith shop, and also near the site of a Catholic chapel that once attracted many pilgrims to the area."
• Buckingham and Kenilworth: "Buckingham and Kenilworth bear the same names as a well known English palace and castle - one the home of today's English royal family and the other made famous by Sir Walter Scott in his novel Kenilworth."
• Tulip Grove: "Tulip Grove is named for an impressive stand of 78 tulip poplar trees, over 200 years old and 150 feet high. They were nursed back to good health by Levitt landscape men. For protection, each tree is fitted with its own lightning rod."
• Meadowbrook: "Meadow Brook received its pastoral name because of the fact it once was a meadow crossed by a brook."
• Long Ridge: "Long Ridge is named because it was built on a ridge, a distinctive feature in the rolling Maryland terrain."
  

The Somerset neighborhood was not mentioned in the article, and neighborhoods like Whitehall and Rockledge had not been developed by the time the article was written.

"Neighborhood Names Significant at Belair," The Washington Post, September 11, 1965

Where in Bowie? #4 - Answer revealed

In a previous post, I asked where this picture was taken in Bowie.

This was the most challenging Where in Bowie post yet. The first three featured pictures in common locations in Bowie. This spot is a little off the beaten path for most people. As a result, Bowie Living didn't receive any guesses at all.

This Where in Bowie picture features a 1930s to 1950s era F.E. Myers well water pump located on the property of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church off Annapolis Road in Bowie. The pump sits in the woods to the right of the road leading around the church. It's more easily seen with the snow on the ground, but I first spotted it back in January before Bowie received the recent series of snowstorms.

My daughter was the only person who could correctly identify the location. I spoke with a few people who pass by the pump on a regular basis, and they never realized the pump was there.

The pump is located about 25 feet from the road.

The pump is visible just off the road leading around the church.

Another view of the road leading into the church. The top of the pump is visible over the snowbank. The Rectory can be seen on the hill to the left.

A closer look at the pump. It says:
MYERS
SELF-OILING
WORKING HEAD
8 IN. STROKE
PATENTED

A closer view of the Rectory.

The Chapel

A view of the historic cemetery at the church. According to the church's history page on its Web site:

Names prominent in the history of Prince George's County and the Bowie area in particular are readily found in the records of Holy Trinity Church and our cemetery: Ridgley, Lancaster, Duckett, Hall, Belt, Addison, Claggett, Lansdale, Bowie, Tasker, Darnell, Ogle, and many others.

A sign provides some of the history of the church. Mareen Duvall's well known descendants include President Barack Obama, President Harry S. Truman, Vice-President Dick Cheney and billionaire investor Warren Buffett. A future post will include more information about Mareen Duvall.

Where in Bowie? #2 - Answer revealed.

In a previous post, I asked where this picture was taken in Bowie.

The picture shows a portion of the Showcase Market Place Cinema 6 sign on Annapolis Road (Rt 450) in the Market Place Shopping Center. The theatre has not been in business for years, but the sign remains. The original sign said "market place cinema", but the portion of the sign that says "cinema" has been flipped over so the sign now reads "market place."

Kudos to Val for correctly guessing the answer.





One mystery remains. What used to be displayed on the East side of the sign? Was it the name of the last movie to play in theatre 1? Was it something that was put up after the theatre closed? My first inclination is to think that it was the name of a movie, but one might think that whoever removed the word "cinema" from the sign would have also removed the letters.



The sign includes the letters "S", "T", "I", "G" and "M". I think the theatre closed sometime in the 1990s. I wonder what was playing then.

Here is the main entrance to the theatre - now boarded up. There used to be an arcade near this entrance.

A larger sign hung on the wall to the left showing the movies that were playing. An electric wire hangs from a hole in the wall where the sign once hung.

The back of the theatre.

Here is the exit along the side of the theatre. You can see a faded 3208 - part of the theatre address at 3208 Superior Lane. You can also see the outline of an arch that used to hang above the doors.

Plans for renovating the Market Place Shopping Center are being discussed. I'll have more on the renovations in a future post.