{"nrhp_refnum":"94001333","name":"Schine Auburn Theatre","other_names":["Auburn Theatre"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"12--14 South St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Auburn","county":"Cayuga County","state":"NY","lat":42.931276525000044,"lon":-76.56530664899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-03-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1938 movie theater at 12-14 South Street in downtown Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, designed by theater architect John Eberson in the Streamlined Moderne (Art Deco) manner for the Schine chain.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as an outstanding example of Streamlined Moderne theater design by the noted architect John Eberson. It is the last surviving downtown movie house in Auburn, and local letters call it the last historic theater in Cayuga County. Its facade, marquee and original interior arrangement remain largely intact.","narrative":"Schines Auburn Theatre, at 12-14 South Street in downtown Auburn, New York, opened in September 1938 as a movie house designed by theater architect John Eberson. Built on the site of the Second Presbyterian Church, which burned in 1932, it sits beside the Masonic Temple near the city's historic commercial center. The building has a concrete foundation, structural tile walls with brick veneer, and a steel-truss roof. Its west facade is a Streamlined Moderne composition of blue-gray glazed brick, off-white terra cotta, sawtooth vertical bands and a large neon marquee with sweeping speed stripes. Porthole details recall the era's interest in ocean liners. Inside, Rambusch Decorating Studios supplied the decoration, and the plan includes a lobby, auditorium and stage area. After nearby theaters were demolished, it remained the last downtown movie house in Auburn. It is now vacant, with water-damaged interior finishes, and supporters have urged its preservation as a cultural venue.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"John Eberson (interior decoration by Rambusch Decorating Studios of New York City)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement/Moderne","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as vacant/not in use; the interior is not accessible and has suffered severe water damage to plaster and finishes, though the original layout and detailing reportedly remain intact.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:50.638941-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/94001333.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/94001333/89b43d8065-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/94001333/89b43d8065-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Beyond My Ken","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schines_Auburn_Theatre_Auburn.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Beyond My Ken</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schines_Auburn_Theatre_Auburn.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75316729","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schines_Auburn_Theatre","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7431339"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/cayuga-county/schine-auburn-theatre-94001333/"}