{
  "slug": "middlesex-theater",
  "title": "The Middlesex Theater: behind the College Street façade",
  "towns": [
    "Middletown"
  ],
  "counties": [
    "Middlesex"
  ],
  "dateRange": "1896–20th century",
  "topic": "Places & community",
  "summary": "Seven survey photographs document a Middletown performance space, from its street elevation to the interior. The record connects local entertainment to theater architect Francis H. Kimball.",
  "history": [
    {
      "heading": "A theater in the city",
      "text": "The Library of Congress identifies the Middlesex Theater at 109–111 College Street as part of Middletown’s Metro South Historic District. Its catalog attributes the design to Francis H. Kimball and notes the building’s reputation for acoustics. The survey places the theater within an urban district rather than treating it as an isolated monument. Its street frontage formed part of the everyday route through downtown.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0343"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Two dates in the building’s record",
      "text": "The HABS record gives 1896 for initial construction and 1926 for later work. Those entries provide a starting chronology, not a complete performance history. They should not be used to date every surface visible in the photographs. The original field-note reference, FN-42, points researchers toward further survey documentation that may help explain changes to the structure.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0343"
      ]
    },
    {
      "heading": "Look beyond the entrance",
      "text": "The photographic sequence gives exterior and lobby evidence. Moving through it connects the public façade with the entrance and passages behind it. The archive retains the theater’s catalog name and address so it is not confused with other Middletown cinemas, including the separately documented Capitol Theatre on Main Street.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0343"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "timeline": [
    {
      "date": "1896",
      "event": "Initial construction date recorded by HABS.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0343"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "1926",
      "event": "Later work recorded in the federal survey.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0343"
      ]
    },
    {
      "date": "July 1980",
      "event": "Harvey Limon photographs the theater for HABS.",
      "source_ids": [
        "ct0343-cap"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "ct0343",
      "title": "Library of Congress: Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "url": "https://www.loc.gov/item/ct0343/"
    },
    {
      "id": "ct0343-cap",
      "title": "Library of Congress: original photograph captions and dates (ct0343)",
      "url": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/data/ct0343cap.pdf"
    }
  ],
  "images": [
    {
      "id": "506244632af08548335d",
      "image": "/county-images/81306b97aa7641c0f6cc3133f0444015af6c23f1ba5ab5c3dedcb74d75746cce.jpg",
      "title": "1.  EXTERIOR, NORTH ELEVATION - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "1.  EXTERIOR, NORTH ELEVATION - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "July 1980",
      "credit": "Harvey Limon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Harvey Limon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0343.photos.023681p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "1.  EXTERIOR, NORTH ELEVATION - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/photos/023681pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "b9fe3317e466b116dd4c",
      "image": "/county-images/bf3f2b7c1cfbff7db7c6f4ffd0e685470ebc333f6436cb1641ae14179e6f0cd6.jpg",
      "title": "2.  EXTERIOR, SOUTH ELEVATION - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "2.  EXTERIOR, SOUTH ELEVATION - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "July 1980",
      "credit": "Harvey Limon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Harvey Limon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0343.photos.023682p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "2.  EXTERIOR, SOUTH ELEVATION - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/photos/023682pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "85a80177c9a330eab6fa",
      "image": "/county-images/74ee6fe568c7232ceac3b495686e29f073f7b83f1da7427e0fd2a5777dcf40b6.jpg",
      "title": "3.  EXTERIOR, LOBBY ON COLLEGE STREET - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "3.  EXTERIOR, LOBBY ON COLLEGE STREET - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "July 1980",
      "credit": "Harvey Limon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Harvey Limon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0343.photos.023683p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "3.  EXTERIOR, LOBBY ON COLLEGE STREET - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/photos/023683pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "72fb7714b43dcd6ec70c",
      "image": "/county-images/277b0d23b591ae2fa8b210867a77e2149efe448553f1a4aa3f9a318722a1343d.jpg",
      "title": "4.  EXTERIOR, THEATER CONNECTION TO PRESENT LOBBY - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "4.  EXTERIOR, THEATER CONNECTION TO PRESENT LOBBY - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "July 1980",
      "credit": "Harvey Limon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Harvey Limon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0343.photos.023684p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "4.  EXTERIOR, THEATER CONNECTION TO PRESENT LOBBY - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/photos/023684pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "953c698af7d40e033a09",
      "image": "/county-images/73a3f8f9be1b5be0ce1b0c1b3404cdc2862e63d4c5d27054e6dda8135d7d8413.jpg",
      "title": "5.  EXTERIOR, THEATER CONNECTION TO MIDDLESEX MUTUAL OFFICE BUILDING - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "5.  EXTERIOR, THEATER CONNECTION TO MIDDLESEX MUTUAL OFFICE BUILDING - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "July 1980",
      "credit": "Harvey Limon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Harvey Limon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0343.photos.023685p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "5.  EXTERIOR, THEATER CONNECTION TO MIDDLESEX MUTUAL OFFICE BUILDING - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/photos/023685pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "3a61f1b771a3f5433baf",
      "image": "/county-images/6052ad6c4aed13dd455375b59eb51a2620bf4d8d49f6d24f4ece9ab12dce0715.jpg",
      "title": "6.  VIEW OF ALLEY SHOWING CONNECTION OF THEATER TO MIDDLESEX MUTUAL OFFICE BUILDING - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "6.  VIEW OF ALLEY SHOWING CONNECTION OF THEATER TO MIDDLESEX MUTUAL OFFICE BUILDING - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "July 1980",
      "credit": "Harvey Limon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Harvey Limon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0343.photos.023686p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "6.  VIEW OF ALLEY SHOWING CONNECTION OF THEATER TO MIDDLESEX MUTUAL OFFICE BUILDING - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/photos/023686pv.jpg"
    },
    {
      "id": "5d7c50903e71d35dde80",
      "image": "/county-images/f46e489a8bd40f81386370750f3bf27b28d21f5a632653fb953c899d6d511d96.jpg",
      "title": "7.  INTERIOR, LOBBY - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "alt": "7.  INTERIOR, LOBBY - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "date": "July 1980",
      "credit": "Harvey Limon / Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress",
      "creator": "Harvey Limon",
      "source": "https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.ct0343.photos.023687p/",
      "rights": "No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "license": "No known restrictions on federal survey photographs",
      "licenseUrl": "https://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html",
      "kind": "photograph",
      "later": false,
      "originalCaption": "7.  INTERIOR, LOBBY - Metro South Historic District, Middlesex Theater, 109-111 College Street, Middletown, Middlesex County, CT",
      "originalImage": "https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/pnp/habshaer/ct/ct0300/ct0343/photos/023687pv.jpg"
    }
  ]
}