Local History: Orange NJ Goes to the Movies

Across the street from Luna Stage, and next to one of the state's first settlement houses, stands a bus depot with a storied but incomplete past.  The Valley Transportation and Bus Company at 582 Valley Road was once a theatre, then a cinema. According to Roland, an employee of the company and amateur historian, a chandelier once hung from the center of the vaulted rotunda. The outline of the state is still visible, and the theatre's wings lead to nothing. The theatre was once called the State Theatre or State Cinema, according to two residents.

Roland showed this writer detailed molding, one section of which he plans to restore, and two storage areas that once served as balconies. The theatre was once lit by gas; Thomas Edison brought electricity to the building. And Roland noted the building's acoustics by talking in the center of the room; despite machinery noise, a normal tone is audible throughout the room. "No microphones then," said Roland, who believes the building was built in the late 1800s.

From the exterior, the brick building has two front areas that suggest ticket booths. The entryway is decorated with molding that features bushy-tailed squirrels.

Sadly, though, the building's decorative elements are in ill repair. See it soon. And if anyone has more information about the theatre, or knows where to find it, please comment below. A legendary theatre needs its story told.