Glove Theatre
Corporate brand
UnclaimedThe Glove Theatre is a historic 800-seat theater and community performing-arts venue in Gloversville, New York.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Glove Theatre is a historic theater and community entertainment venue at 42 North Main Street in Gloversville, New York. Opened on October 9, 1914, the theater was designed by Utica architect Linn Kinney in the Classical Revival style and originally accommodated approximately 800 people. It stands between Gloversville City Hall and the Kasson Block Building and forms part of the Downtown Gloversville Historic District. The property is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater was established during a period when Gloversville already had several entertainment venues, including the Family Theatre in the Kasson Block Building and the Darling Theatre. Its original developers, veterinarian Henry Cady and local businessman George Dartch, obtained municipal approvals for a sidewalk marquee and a fire escape over the City Hall driveway. The opening program included a screening of The Call of the North, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, while the venue quickly developed a broader identity as a home for films, touring theatrical companies, concerts, opera, amateur performances and civic gatherings. In 1920, Junius Myer Schine and Louis W. Schine acquired the Glove Theatre and made it the flagship location of Schine Enterprise. Under Schine ownership, the building operated as a vaudeville and movie house and became part of a wider theater network that eventually encompassed more than 150 theaters across four states. The adjacent Kasson Block Building was incorporated into the company’s local headquarters, with offices and a private screening room used to preview films before wider distribution. The theater also served as a testing site for new cinema technology and was among the early American theaters equipped for sound in 1928. The venue maintained a civic role during the interwar period and the Great Depression. Its programming included community events, political speeches and unusual promotional events such as “rural nights,” which combined film screenings with contests, demonstrations and square dancing. In 1939, the building underwent a major modernization in the Art Deco style. It reopened as the “New Glove Theatre” on October 6, with a marquee designed by John Eberson. Later that year, the theater participated in a regional premiere of Drums Along the Mohawk, attended by local officials and representatives of 20th Century-Fox. During the Second World War, the Glove supported bond drives, scrap-metal campaigns and veterans’ speaking tours. After the war, Schine trained veterans in theater operations at the Glove before placing them in other venues in its circuit. Schine sold most of its property in 1965 but retained the Glove, leasing operations to Panther Theaters for several years. The theater closed on November 28, 1971, after reportedly operating at a loss. It remained largely vacant for roughly a quarter-century, although it hosted occasional screenings and seasonal community activity. A community-led preservation effort began in 1995, when demolition for a parking lot was being considered. Local supporters raised funds and established the Gloversville Theatre Corporation. The theater reopened on October 25, 1997, with an event titled “The Phantom of The Glove.” In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the venue returned to stage production, youth programming and summer-stock musicals, including Follies, Cinderella and Frosty and Friends. Its later programming broadened to include concerts, vaudeville, dance events, educational seminars, family activities and film series. Following the COVID-19 period, the organization recruited board members with experience intended to strengthen the theater’s role in downtown economic development. In 2022, a free weekly film program began as the Blackmon Film Series and was later renamed the Love the Glove Film Series. In 2022 and 2023, the theater was awarded nearly $4 million in New York State revitalization and restoration support for renovation work. The Glove Theatre remains an active historic venue whose identity combines movie-theater heritage, live performance, preservation and community programming.
History
The Glove Theatre occupies the former Hosmer property on North Main Street in Gloversville. Henry Cady and George Dartch purchased the site in 1913, when it contained a barber shop and Hollenbeck’s lunch wagon. Designed by Linn Kinney in the Classical Revival style, the theater received city approval for a marquee extending over the sidewalk and a fire escape positioned above the City Hall driveway. It opened on October 9, 1914, with an 800-seat auditorium and a film program featuring The Call of the North. From its beginning, the Glove combined motion pictures with live entertainment. Its programs included local and touring productions, professional theatrical companies, orchestral concerts, opera, speeches and civic events. The building also hosted high-school graduations, dance competitions, fashion exhibitions and meetings of public bodies. In 1917, suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt addressed a highly attended gathering at the theater during the campaign for approval of a New York women’s-suffrage amendment. The theater entered a new phase in 1920 when Junius Myer Schine and Louis W. Schine acquired it after expanding their theater interests in the region. The Glove became the flagship headquarters of Schine Enterprise and was operated as a vaudeville and movie house. The company also acquired nearby properties, including the Kasson Block Building, and used the local complex for offices and film previews. Schine’s expansion eventually produced a circuit of more than 150 theaters in four states. The Glove was used to test equipment and was among the early theaters to install sound technology in 1928. During the Depression, Schine promoted Friday and Saturday “rural nights,” pairing films with contests, demonstrations and square dancing. The theater continued its community role during the 1930s. In 1939, a major remodeling changed its appearance to Art Deco. The theater reopened on October 6 as the New Glove Theatre with a marquee designed by John Eberson. A few weeks later, it hosted one of the regional location premieres of Drums Along the Mohawk, a film connected to the Mohawk Valley setting and attended by local and studio representatives. The Glove supported wartime civic activity through bond drives, scrap-metal collections and veterans’ speaking tours. After World War II, Schine used the theater to train veterans in customer service, maintenance and other aspects of cinema management before assigning them to theaters elsewhere in its chain. By the early 1960s, Schine’s network had contracted to approximately 50 theaters. The company sold most of its properties in 1965 but retained the Glove because of its sentimental value. Panther Theaters operated the venue under a lease for several years. The theater closed on November 28, 1971, reportedly because it was losing money. It then spent much of the next 25 years vacant, apart from occasional screenings and community uses. Drums Along the Mohawk returned for a bicentennial presentation in 1976, and owner Rick Ruby reportedly invited Santa Claus into the lobby during the holiday season in the early 1990s. The preservation campaign began in 1995, when demolition and conversion of the site into a parking lot were being considered. Local residents raised funds and organized the Gloversville Theatre Corporation. A grand reopening took place on October 25, 1997, under the title The Phantom of The Glove. Artistic Executive Director Roberta Esposito subsequently helped develop programming and renovation plans. The theater produced Follies in 1998, followed by a youth production of Cinderella and the holiday variety program Frosty and Friends. During the early 2000s it also presented summer-stock musicals. In later years, the organization broadened its program beyond producing theater to include concerts, vaudeville, dance events, family activities, educational programs and film. Financial and administrative constraints slowed development, but support from Richard and Joann Samrov helped the venue remain active. After the COVID-19 pandemic, new board members were recruited to advance the theater’s preservation and downtown-development objectives. A free weekly movie program launched in 2022 as the Blackmon Film Series and was later renamed the Love the Glove Film Series. State revitalization awards announced in 2022 and 2023 provided nearly $4 million in identified renovation support. The theater remains a historic community venue in active redevelopment.
- 2023
Additional restoration funding awarded
[1]The venue received an additional $2 million through RestoreNY for renovations.
- 2022
Weekly film series begins
[1]The Blackmon Film Series, later renamed Love the Glove Film Series, began offering free weekly screenings.
- 2022
State revitalization award announced
[1]The theater was included in Round 5 of New York’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative for Gloversville and received $1,994,000 toward renovation costs.
- 1997
Community reopening
[1]The theater reopened with The Phantom of The Glove.
- 1995
Preservation organization established
[1]Community supporters formed the Gloversville Theatre Corporation to prevent possible demolition and revive the venue.
- 1971
Theater closes
[1]The Glove closed after reportedly operating at a loss.
- 1939
Art Deco renovation and reopening
[1]The remodeled New Glove Theatre reopened with its present-associated marquee and later hosted a regional premiere of Drums Along the Mohawk.
- 1928
Early sound installation
[1]The theater became one of the early American venues equipped for sound films.
- 1920
Schine Enterprise acquires the theater
[1]The Schine brothers purchased the Glove and made it the flagship of their expanding theater enterprise.
- 1917
Carrie Chapman Catt addresses a suffrage meeting
[1]Carrie Chapman Catt spoke to a packed theater during New York’s women’s-suffrage campaign.
Products and positioning
A historic, community-centered performing-arts and cinema venue focused on preserving a landmark theater while presenting accessible film, theater, music, youth and civic programming in downtown Gloversville.
Cinema programming · 1914
Film screenings
Motion pictures have been part of the Glove Theatre’s identity since its 1914 opening. The venue has presented regular commercial films, special screenings, premiere events and retrospective programs, including a 1976 return of Drums Along the Mohawk. Its contemporary film programming includes free weekly screenings through the Love the Glove Film Series.
Performing arts · 1914
Live theater and musicals
The theater has hosted professional touring companies, local productions, youth musicals and summer-stock performances. Its post-preservation programming included Follies, Cinderella and Frosty and Friends, reflecting an emphasis on participatory community theater and family entertainment.
Live entertainment · 1914
Concerts and variety entertainment
Concerts, orchestral programs, vaudeville, dance events and variety shows have occupied an important place in the venue’s history. The theater has presented local, regional and national performers and groups across multiple musical and performance genres.
Community programming · 1914
Community and educational programs
The Glove serves as a civic gathering place for graduations, seminars, family activities, speaking events, dance programs and youth education. Its contemporary activities include a summer theater academy and family-friendly events designed to connect preservation with local participation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Love the Glove Film Series
Gloversville, New York
The free weekly film series began under the name Blackmon Film Series and was sponsored by the Blackmon, Perrott and Peck families before being rebranded.
Outcome. The series restored regular weekly activity to the theater for the first time since the 1960s.
- 1940Wartime civic drives
Gloversville and Fulton County
The theater served as a kickoff point for war-bond drives, scrap-metal collections and veterans’ speaking tours during and after World War II.
Outcome. The Glove reinforced its position as a civic institution in addition to its entertainment role.
- 1930Rural nights
Gloversville and surrounding rural communities
During the Great Depression, Friday and Saturday programs combined movies with contests, demonstrations, family activities and square dancing.
Outcome. The programming used participatory entertainment to attract rural and family audiences during difficult economic conditions.
- 1917Carrie Chapman Catt suffrage address
Gloversville, New York
The Glove hosted a major public suffrage meeting featuring Carrie Chapman Catt during the campaign for New York voters to approve a women’s-suffrage amendment.
Outcome. The event demonstrated the theater’s role as a large civic forum during a significant state political campaign.
Brand decisions
2022
Downtown revitalization and renovation planStrategyBackground
The theater sought to strengthen its role as a catalyst for downtown Gloversville’s cultural and economic development.
Action taken
The venue pursued state revitalization assistance and expanded board participation after the COVID-19 period.
Aftermath
New York State announced $1,994,000 through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, followed by an additional $2 million RestoreNY award in 2023.
New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative award. $1,994,000 (Announced November 2022)
1995
Community preservation and nonprofit revivalStrategyBackground
The building was being considered for demolition and replacement with a parking lot.
Action taken
Local supporters raised funds and established the Gloversville Theatre Corporation to preserve and reactivate the venue.
Aftermath
The theater reopened in 1997 and gradually resumed stage, film, youth and community programming.
1965
Property sell-off and leasing arrangementStrategyBackground
Schine Enterprise reduced its theater holdings as its network contracted from its earlier peak.
Action taken
The company sold most of its property while retaining the Glove and transferred operations to Panther Theaters under a lease.
Aftermath
The arrangement lasted several years before the theater closed in 1971.
1939
Art Deco modernizationGeneration changeBackground
Schine Enterprise modernized the theater after years of operation as a film and live-entertainment venue.
Action taken
The building was remodeled in the Art Deco style and fitted with the marquee designed by John Eberson.
Aftermath
The venue reopened as the New Glove Theatre and received a prominent regional premiere of Drums Along the Mohawk soon afterward.
1920
Schine Enterprise acquisitionM&ABackground
The Glove was acquired as the Schine brothers expanded their regional theater business.
Action taken
Junius Myer Schine and Louis W. Schine purchased the theater and used it as the flagship headquarters of Schine Enterprise.
Aftermath
The venue became part of a major multi-state theater circuit and was used for vaudeville, film exhibition, community events and equipment testing.
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