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The Hiway Theatre, located on Old York Road in the center of Jenkintown, was built in 1913 and was known as the Jenkintown Auditorium. Architect for the building in 1913 was Albert F. Schenck (1877-1931). The exterior at that time was dominated by a large 2 story arched entryway.
In 1925, the Auditorium interior received a redesign from architect William H. Lee (1884-1971), in collaboration with the Gibelli Company, prominent theatre designers of Philadelphia. Lee is believed to have raised the ceiling of the theatre by getting rid of the offices above and eliminated one of the flanking stores. At this point, the theatre was screening silent films and operating under the name of The Embassy Theatre. In 1929, sound was added to the theatre.
In 1936, the theatre underwent a reconstruction on the exterior and the interior from architect William E. Groben (1883-1961). Groben's main contribution appears to be the elimination of Schenck's arched entryway, the addition of a marquee and ticket booth and a refurbishing of the interior. The building underwent a name change in 1936 and became known as the York Road Theatre.
In 1940, the movie house changed hands and received another name - changing to the Hiway Theatre and continued to operate under that name until the 1980’s.
By the 1980's the building appeared rundown and was purchased by Irvin Merlin in 1985. Merlin renamed the theatre after himself – the Merlin Theatre. He completed upgrades to the sound system and replaced the seating.
In the 1990’s, it changed hands again and was purchased by Charles Peruto, Jr. who named it for his son, the Chas III.
In 2003, it was sold to a community non-profit group and began operating under the name recalled affectionately by many Montgomery County and Philadelphia residents – The Hiway Theatre.
[text courtesy of Rob Harper; excerpt taken from his article for Old York Road Historical Society Bulletin]
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