The Senator Theatre

Built in 1939, it is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Baltimore and one of the few theaters from the period still largely intact. It features a two-story, circular lobby with four brick piers and glass block panels, and a large semi-circular marquee with the words "The Senator" in free-standing letters. The theater has four auditoriums. The main has 736 seats and the other three have 160, 60, and 57, respectively. The Senator was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and designated a Baltimore City Landmark in 2012.

Theater operator and owner of Durkee Enterprises, Frank Durkee (1888-1955), built The Senator Theatre. He began his career around 1908 when he started showing films in various locations (he owned portable film equipment). Within a few years he ran a theater called Paradise in a two-story house and often sang behind the movie screen. He became partners with two movie operators in 1916 and it appears they formed Durkee Enterprises around this time. In the coming years the company acquired several theaters.

By 1926 it operated 15 theaters and by 1935 it owned 23, including one built in 1935 called the Ambassador. Until then, the company focused on neighborhood movie houses. The construction of the Ambassador marked a transition for the company when it began building Art Deco theaters that matched downtown venues in terms of architecture and comfort (the Ambassador still stands but its appearance has been altered). Between 1935 and 1939 the company acquired another theater and built The Senator, which received immediate praise for its design and was considered the company's finest theater.

It has been in continuous operation except for a few months in 2010 and between April 2012 and October 2013. In 2010, the owners were forced to close the theater in July as it was not making money. Fortunately, the city acquired it and found a new operator that reopened it in October. The Senator closed for renovations in April 2012 and reopened the next year.

"About Us." The Senator. Accessed July 26, 2022. https://thesenatortheatre.com/about/#page-section-0.

Davis, Janet L. & Shoken, Fred B. "National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form." August 24, 1989. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/feb460a2-6f9f-45ed-8773-4247814a25d1.

"Senator Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed July 26, 2022. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/326/