55 Washington Street @ Market Street
Snow Hill, Maryland
.( Worcester Co )

      Snow Hill appears to have started with an Opera House ( also known as Mason's Opera House ) , located at  55 Washington Street - 2nd floor complete with Stage, with the building at that time actually being three stories tall.  The Opera House can be seen in 1911 and 1923 Insurance Maps, and was mentioned in an article in 1916 after manager F.P. Bratton ( who also had worked at the Empire Theatre in Pocomoke City )  had completely renovated and refitted the Opera House, likely to begin showing movies. While the building was known as the Opera House, it was a three story building and seated 350 people in 1931. In later years, the third floor was taken off and the building completely renovated and even getting an Art Deco look in later years.

    By 1933, it appears the Opera House was operating under the name of the Gem .

    The Outten Theatre begins to get listed in the1940's ( found on a typo as the Quitten Theatre in 1952 ) and the Outten seated between 300 and 350 people, which was in fact the Opera House remodeled and one floor taken off, and giving the building an Art Deco look. The building is currently vacant and there are plans to renovate the building in the coming months.

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 In 1952, Snow Hill listed the Rio Theatre as the town movie house, seating about 396. There was also a second " colored " theatre in town,  Outtens " colored : theatre on Commerce Street. That building is also still standing ( above ) .

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Just when we thought we had it all, along come several postcards of the Waverly Theatre in Snow Hill Maryland. Any one remember this one ? These postcards show water, and the Town is on the Pocomoke River, but I don't believe the river is quite that wide...( see below .....)
         Update ! - The Waverly Theatre was part of a few recreation piers, known as the " Public Landing " ,  located six miles east of downtown Snow Hill along the shores of the Chincotegue Bay. In 1933, a storm, known as the " Storm of 1933 " took the theatre and the rest of the pier out to sea. The Pier was never rebuilt.

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Public Landing Park in later years, as seen in a postcard . The theatre and amusements are long gone in this view.

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Another view of the block the Outen Theatre is located on, this time looking down from the Hotel Purnell. The taller building near the end of the block is the Opera House. 

Another view of Snow Hill back in the day, this time Green Street, a block from the old Outten Theatre.