{"nrhp_refnum":"85001025","name":"Capitol Theater Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"202--208 Massachusetts Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Arlington","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.405678185000056,"lon":-71.14267541299995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-04-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1925 brick and composition-stone movie theater building with stores, offices and apartments at 202-208 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, Massachusetts, designed by William J. Drummey for Albert J. Locatelli.","why_significant":"The building houses one of the best-preserved early 20th century moving picture theaters in the Boston area. It is also an example of Classical Revival design with Baroque and early Art Deco touches. It symbolized East Arlington's 1920s shift from market gardening to a dense suburban neighborhood.","narrative":"Built in 1925 at 202-208 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, this brick and composition-stone building combines a movie theater with stores, offices and apartments. Architect William J. Drummey designed it for Albert J. Locatelli, whose theater chain also included the Ball Square and Central Square theaters in Somerville. The project cost $500,000 and held 11 stores, 12 offices, a 1,700-seat theater and 15 third-floor apartments. Its Robert Morton organ was promoted as the largest of its kind in New England. Architecturally, the building is Classical Revival, with a center bay of recessed coupled columns, broken pediments, quoins and cartouches above the storefronts. The interior mixes Baroque elements with later touches, including early Art Deco. It is regarded as one of the best-preserved early 20th century movie theaters in the Boston area. It also marks East Arlington's 1920s change from market gardening to a densely populated suburb. The building has had no major alterations and is still used as a theater.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"William J. Drummey","architectural_style":"Classical Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Present use is the same as the original: a movie theater with commercial and residential space. The exterior is described as well preserved, with no major alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.816377-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/41/7906/63790641/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/85001025.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001025/05851ece65-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001025/05851ece65-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Tim Pierce","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arlington_MA_Capitol_Theater_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Tim Pierce</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arlington_MA_Capitol_Theater_Building.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790641","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Theater_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5035934"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/capitol-theater-building-85001025/"}