{"nrhp_refnum":"88001590","name":"Oswego Theater","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"138 W. Second St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Oswego","county":"Oswego County","state":"NY","lat":43.45579042600008,"lon":-76.51252699199995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-09-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick Art Deco movie theater at 138 West Second Street in the central business section of Oswego, New York, built in 1940-41 to designs by John Eberson and constructed by M. Shapiro and Sons of New York City.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an outstanding example of an Art Deco movie house, designed by noted theater architect John Eberson for the Schine chain. It is one of only two Art Deco buildings in Oswego County and remains highly intact, with original furnishings and decorative accessories. It also replaced earlier theaters and became a community focal point.","narrative":"Located at 138 West Second Street in downtown Oswego, this Art Deco movie house opened on January 22, 1941, as the Oswego Schine Theater. Architect John Eberson designed it, and M. Shapiro and Sons of New York City built it. Its front facade uses bands of yellow, red and dark-red brick, with cast stone stripes, a marquee and display cases. Inside, formica, marble, aluminum rails and bold color schemes carry the style through the foyer, lounges and auditorium, which originally held 1,200 seats. The site was previously occupied by the Vulcan Iron Works and a later theater. Eberson adapted the decorative richness of larger movie palaces to a small neighborhood house. The building is one of only two Art Deco buildings in Oswego County and keeps most of its original fabric. Alterations include removal of the vertical neon sign, the 1970 balcony division, and replacement of the foyer carpet.","period_of_significance":"1940","architect_builder":"Architect: John Eberson / Contractor: M. Shapiro & Sons, NYC","architectural_style":"Art Deco","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as an entertainment venue; in good condition. The balcony was reversibly converted into a separate 567-seat theater in 1970.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:45.002695-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/88001590.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88001590/86cf2393a0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88001590/86cf2393a0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.0","author":"Doug Kerr (Dougtone)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oswego_Theater_sign.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Doug Kerr (Dougtone)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oswego_Theater_sign.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"13001114","name":"Kingsford Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/new-york/kingsford-historic-district-13001114/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75320859","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswego_Theater","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7108244"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/oswego-county/oswego-theater-88001590/"}