Category:Hamilton Theater, Allentown, Pennsylvania

**Hamilton Theatre**
	former movie theater in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
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Instance of	movie theater; destroyed building or structure;
Location	Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Street address	207 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101;
	40° 36′ 19.89″ N, 75° 27′ 35.91″ W
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	Q43381472;
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The Hamilton Theater opened in 1915 at 205-207 Hamilton Street, located near the intersection of Second and Hamilton Streets. It was the first and only cinema in the First Ward of Allentown with a seating capacity of 500 and was owned by Daniel Meeker. Meeker's son, Herbert, operated the theater at 207 Hamilton, while Daniel operated a fruit and vegetable store at 205 Hamilton, in the same storefront of the theater. During the 1910s and 1920s, the theater showed second-run features, primarily for families who lived in the area between the Jordan Creek and Lehigh River. In 1928, Daniel Meeker passed away and the management of the fruit stand was taken over by Herbert Meeker

In May 1932, the theater was closed and renovated, being renamed the "Lindy" Theater. An RCA photophone sound system added so sound films could be shown however by the end of 1932 it was again closed. It reopened again as the Hamilton in November, 1933, however it was again closed in August 1934 due to a lawsuit filed against it's owners, citing the theater being a 'public nucience'. A court trial ensued and eventually the theater was allowed to reopen in March, 1935. The theater operated until April, 1937 when Herbert Meeker passed away and the theater was subsequently put up for sale.

It was bought by the manager of the Earle Theater in March 1938, one of the first-run theaters of the Central Business District. Max Kerr, owner of the Earle, planned to upgrade the Hamilton and show first-run films there after they finished their run at the Earle. However on October 13, 1938 a major fire broke out in the projection room of the Hamilton, severely damaging the theater. After the fire, plans were drawn by architect William H. Lee to rebuild the theater, but were never carried through, and it never showed films again.

The theater became a discount grocery store in 1940, known as Julian's Cut-Rate, later becoming Culp's Grocery in 1945. In 1949, the property was taken over by Queen City Cleaners until it again closed in 1965. After the cleaners closed, the entire 200 block of Hamilton Street was torn down as part of an urban renewal project. The area where the Hamilton Theater once stood is now a parking lot.