Hackettstown Center for the Arts, 181 Main Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 (908) 813-2626 © 2022 Paladin Knight Entertainment, LLC

History of the Strand

William A. “Al” Ackley and Nathan Klotz owned a meat shop located at 181 Main Street around 1910 and the two adjacent lots including the Old Star Theater located at 185 Main Street. On January 31, 1913, they announced the construction of a new theater that would show moving pictures. They demolished the tiny and aging Star Theater and moved their meat shop building at 181 Main to 185 Main. The Strand was completed in 1915. In 1927, Abraham Rosen, who owned the Flemington and Lambertville theaters, purchased the theater from Klotz and Ackely. He renovated and expanded the building to the size that it is today. The marquee was replaced and the addition of a balcony increased seating capacity to 1,200. Movies and live acts continued for many years. From 1938 to 1953, Rosen leased the theater out to several groups. In 1953, the lease was purchased by the Brandt Theater chain while the property was owned by the St. Cloud group. In 1972, it was sold to Eagle Properties. For 50 years, the Strand continued to be the only movie theater in town until the opening of the Mall Theater in 1971 at the Hackettstown Mall. In 1984, Eagle Properties sold the Strand to James and and Barbara Reiger of Blairstown, NJ. By 1986, patronage was declining and the fate of the building was unsure. Paul Simone of Vienna Piano, a current occupant, took over the building. The success of his piano business and management of the building ensured the survival of The Strand for many decades to come. Data Courtesy of the Hackettstown Historical Society