Loew’s Century Theatre
18 West Lexington Street, Baltimore
ca. 1925
Unidentified photographer
Julius Anderson Photograph Collection
Baltimore City Life Museum Collection
Maryland Historical Society
1995.62.001
Plans for the Century Theatre were prepared in 1919 by John J. Zink for the Whitehurst organization. It was built by J.H. Miller & Company and housed two auditoriums. The lower auditorium seated 3,450 and was to be used exclusively for motion pictures. The upper auditorium seated approximately 3,000 for “high-class cabaret for big time” vaudeville.
The Whitehurst organization sold the Century Theatre to Loew’s in May 1926. Loew’s brought in well-known theater architect John Eberson to remodel the Century and design a movie house to be built on top of it, known as the Valencia Theatre. Morris Mechanic bought the Century and Valencia from Loew’s in 1955 and the Valencia closed immediately thereafter.
This and other buildings in the area were destroyed in October of 1962 to make way for Charles Center.
Passano Historic Structures Index (Maryland Historical Society): 18 West Lexington Street
