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In the days of the Drive In Movies…
By Silver Blue
November 1999. State College, Pennsylvania. The Starlite.
Undoubtedly, it had seen better days.
However, even in that day and time, it was reasonably priced.
I had gone up for Thanksgiving with my (then) housemate, Tom Rose. We drove by, and he humoured me by stopping and letting me take these shots.
CORRECTION. I had the wrong STARLITE Drive In listed in my original post.
The Drive In is still in business! According to http://www.driveinmovie.com/PA.htm
State College (Centre County) Pennsylvania
Starlite Drive-in Theatre: 814-237-0001
located at 1100 Benner Pike
Finally, the marquee, which didn’t even have the name of the Drive In on it, anymore:
I wonder, some 13 years later, if the marquee or anything has been updated.
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/starlite.mp3]Silver Blue, who remembers when the silver screen used to be something special, and an evening at the drive-in was a family affair.
Bringing back the Past
By Silver Blue | 1 comment
1In the town of Kenton, Ohio, where my grandmother lived, there was a beautiful building that had fallen on hard times.
The Hardin County Armory, circa 1998.
The Hardin Country Armory is the 3rd oldest and most unique Armory in Ohio. Its architecture finely represents the Late Victorian, Richardsonian Romanesque Style. Construction began in 1893. The corner stone was laid with an imposing parade on August 2, 1894. Governor William McKinley, soon to be President, and his staff were all in attendance as were many other prominent officials. The corner stone ceremony had an estimated attendance of over 25,000 people. The new Armory was formally dedicated on April 15, 1895 with a grandiose military ball. Some of its interior attributes included a shooting range, plunge and steam baths, hardwood auditorium floor, and a balcony which encircled the auditorium.
Massive, two story towers combined with the sharp shooter’s ports are locked in time by the inviting yet foreboding sandstone front facade. The life of this building has witnessed Ohio’s greatest dances, social, political, and military events. The structure had the ability to seat and serve dinner to over 2,000 people which caused the building to lay host to the most prominent of gatherings. One being the national Presidential campaign of 1912 when capacity audiences listened to addresses from President William H. Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt. The Armory has also served the United States and Ohio in every military action since its completion and up until it was vacated by the National Guard in 1991.
Locally, the Armory has served the county of Hardin as the location of community events including graduation ceremonies, school dances, political dinners, professional wrestling, and golden glove boxing matches. The list goes on and on. The Armory even housed one of the very first professional women’s basketball teams in the 1920’s. Prior to and up until the completion of the present court house being erected, the Armory contained an assortment of governmental agencies and services for the county.
In 1947, the Armory was totally gutted by a fire started by two individuals from Company E who were cleaning rifles in the basement. The beloved building was reopened in 1948 after extensive reconstruction was made to the interior. All of the wood in the building was replaced with block and concrete construction (which makes total restoration impossible).
The Amory sat idle for six years and in that time was neglected. The Hardin County Armory Restoration Foundation was formed in 1997 to insure that the people of Ohio can continue to use and enjoy this wonderful facility.
The Hardin County Armory, Restored, circa 2008.
I am proud to have been a part of the restoration process for the Armory, having run a web page on my site to promote the efforts of the citizens of Kenton, Ohio, and of Hardin County to restore this grand building.
The Hardin County Armory Restoration Foundation is currently taking Donations for the continued restoration of the Armory. The foundation is a non-profit organization and has a 501 C3 rating, so all donations are tax deductible. All donations may be submitted to the address below. Make checks payable to:
Armory Foundation
P.O. Box 594
Kenton, OH 43326-0594
419-673-1599
“We like to think of the Armory,
not as a building in need of repair,
but as an elegant lady with a tattered dress,
who can still smile despite her appearance.”
[audio:https://www.eyesofsilverblue.com/lwhdna.mp3]
Silver Blue, who remembers Doris Williams (Blum) as the person who first let me into the Armory to photograph it in the state of decay it had fallen into, and Ed Rogers, who has always kept me informed through newsletters as to the restoration process.
Swimmin’ With The Fishes (and more)
By Silver Blue
It’s been forever since I’ve been in State College, Pennsylvania, but listening to the news about the scandal at PSU, the firing of JoePa, and his death sent me looking through the photos I’d taken when I used to go up there several times a year.
There was an awesome wall mural that the title of the post comes from. It was very aquatic, and in fact, very Atlantean.
Back in those days (1999), I was shooting with a Fuji DX-7, which… this (640×480 pixel) was the largest photo it would take!
I loved the detail in the shark and (I think) manta ray.
I wasn’t sure what to make of these figures, except to think perhaps their necks hurt. I was to see them again, however.
Swordfish. Steer clear. (Angel fish in the background as well).
Oh, that figure I mentioned seeing again?
It’s replicated in the light fixtures in town!
Finally, a visit to State College is NOT complete without a visit to Ye Olde College Diner:
Home to the ORIGINAL grilled sticky bun. Melt butter on a flat top, and grill the sticky until warmed through. Serve with or without ice cream.
Silver Blue, who honestly thinks that my arteries would have completely closed had I kept going there and eating the way I used to…
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