NAP- Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket

Of course Nelson Eddy's Dad was buried here in Riverside Cemetery. Nelson Eddy was born in Pleasant View and then moved to Olneyville and rumor has it that he performed in the various theaters in Pawtucket.

There were many theaters here and some may recall the Capitol Theater on the Main Street Bridge...probably near where the test going over the Pawtucket Falls was done by the guy who then did it over the Niagra Falls...a bit tougher.

Many bits of history we can be amazed at and thanks to Joe Palmer, Paul Mowrey and many other neighbors, we have a bonanza on our history..

By the way Leroy Payne was the son killed in the war that the Leroy theater was named after...

Now does anyone know if Nelson Eddy and Jeannette MacDonald appeared together in the Pawtucket theaters? Maybe their movie -"The Iron Butterfly"

Dear Arthur,

My dad recalled at one time in the early 1950's, nine theaters graced the downtown district.  In Susan Boucher's book, "The History of Pawtucket" , the author recalled such theaters as the "Imperial", across from the Leroy, the "Capital",  the "Bijou", and what later became the old Peerless Department store, the Music Hall, which is across the street from the Grant building. 

Central Falls had the "Bellevue" on Dexter Street.  However, I forgot the theater on Broad Street.

Peace,

Jim