{"nrhp_refnum":"84003776","name":"Liberty Theatre","other_names":["Paramount Theatre"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"142 Federal Plaza W.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Youngstown","county":"Mahoning County","state":"OH","lat":41.101098378000074,"lon":-80.65136152599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-02-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story masonry and steel-frame Neoclassical theatre at 142 Federal Plaza West (West Federal and North Hazel streets) in downtown Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, built 1917-1918 and designed by C. Howard Crane of Detroit.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a rare, relatively well-preserved example of early twentieth century theatre architecture and the oldest surviving theatre in Youngstown. It is a restrained early Neoclassical design reflecting the Federal and Adam revival, the only theatre of this style in the Youngstown-Warren area, and one of the oldest surviving early movie palaces in Ohio.","narrative":"Opened on February 11, 1918, this three-story theatre on West Federal Street in downtown Youngstown was the city's first motion picture palace and its largest and most elaborate theatre. Designed by C. Howard Crane of Detroit, it replaced the Civil War-era Excelsior Block and was built during World War I despite steel shortages. The front is glazed buff terra cotta with Corinthian pilasters, garlands and a deep cornice, topped by a large metal marquee. Inside, a tall auditorium with balcony features restrained classical plasterwork, a sunburst ceiling centerpiece and three crystal chandeliers at the mezzanine. Paramount Pictures bought the building in 1929 and refurbished it for sound films. It operated until the mid-1970s. Later changes included a modernized lobby, a suspended ceiling beneath the proscenium arch and removal of the loge boxes. Its significance rests on its rare, restrained Neoclassical design and its status as Youngstown's oldest surviving theatre.","period_of_significance":"1917-1918","architect_builder":"C. Howard Crane, Detroit","architectural_style":"Neoclassical (Federal/Adam revival influence)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Listed as unoccupied; it operated as a theatre until the mid-1970s and was sold in 1983 to new owners who planned to restore it as a movie theatre and performance center.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:15.221192-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/84003776.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84003776/074a700d9d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84003776/074a700d9d-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_Theatre_in_Youngstown.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_Theatre_in_Youngstown.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71990074","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty/Paramount_Theatre","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6541543"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/mahoning-county/liberty-theatre-84003776/"}