Update: Wynne Theater’s Neon Letters Removed

January 11, 2012 |  by  |  Buzz  |  , , , , , ,

The neon letters being removed. Photo: Provenance Architecturals

Shortly before Christmas, Provenance Architectural Salvage removed the Wynne Theater’s distinctive marquee from the building on 54th and Arlington Streets in Wynnefield. The marquee’s large neon letters were removed because the Department of Licenses and Inspections deemed them a safety hazard and issued a citation calling for marquee’s demolition. The Lansdale-crafted enameled steel letters are for sale through Provenance. (Full disclosure: Provenance co-owner Robert Beaty is a Hidden City Philadelphia board member).

The removal of the marquee does not mean there is a plan to redevelop the theater, which continues to languish, awaiting a developer. For more information about the theater’s history and the Community Design Collaborative’s vision for the site, click HERE.

About the author

Rachel Hildebrandt, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, is a native Philadelphian who is passionate about the ever-changing city she inhabits. Before beginning her graduate studies in historic preservation planning, Rachel obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and co-authored two books, The Philadelphia Area Architecture of Horace Trumbauer (2009) and Oak Lane, Olney, and Logan (2011), both published by Arcadia Publishing.

2 Comments

  1. Ben Leech
    January 12, 2012 at 10:29 am

    Aargh! Please tell me they left the rooftop sign alone, at least.