The Park Theatre will be a regional center for the arts and entertainment, a meeting place for the community and a dynamic force in the region's vitality and quality of life.
Built in 1922 and added onto several times, the theatre sits right in the middle of downtown Jaffrey, NH. It was the place for movies, plays, vaudeville, and community events for 54 years. Sold in 1976, the theatre has been a warehouse for picture frames, bicycles and sports equipment for 30 years. In February 2006, a group of private citizens formed The Park Theatre Corporation, and, with donations from all over the country, bought the theatre to rebuild it and open it up again.
The twelve member Board of Trustees is supported by Finance, Governance, Community Relations and History committees as well as a volunteer Executive Staff handling financial and record management, visual history, media relations and web design. During the first quarter of 2007, the corporation developed and adopted a three-year Strategic Plan. In May 2007 the IRS determined that the corporation is a public charity exempt from federal, state and local taxes and contributions to the theatre are fully tax deductible. In June the Southwest Regional Planning Commission designated the theatre one of its priority projects for its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the Monadnock Region. Designs for the use and activities of the theatre are being completed with the assistance of Daniel V. Scully Architects. Once completed, the arts management group, Palmer Westport, will conduct the fundraising feasibility study later this year.
The theatre has developed Performing Partnerships with Peterborough Children’s Choir, Peterborough Chamber Choir, Actors’ Circle Theatre, Project Shakespeare, Monadnock Performing Arts Academy, Jaffrey Civic Center, Jaffrey Woman’s Club and the Southern New Hampshire Scottish Games to present its first-ever Season of Art and Entertainment held throughout the region. The theatre will hold an Open House on July 28 during ‘Riverfest’ and a Chamber of Commerce ‘After Hours’ on September 26.
The town of Jaffrey was founded in 1773. It is the home of Mount Monadnock, the most climbed mountain in the United States. There are twenty-three towns surrounding the mountain: Nelson, Roxbury, Keene, Marlborough, Swanzey, Troy, Sullivan, Gilsum, Surry, Westmoreland, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Winchester, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Hancock, Peterborough, Harrisville, Dublin, Sharon, Temple, New Ipswich and Rindge. These towns are home to 100,000 year-round residents as well as another 50,000 summer and weekend visitors.
Jaffrey is less than two hours driving time from Boston, Massachusetts, slightly more than two hours from Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island and four hours from New York City. In addition, the town boasts its own airport, Silver Ranch Airpark, and is an energetic and diverse community that is home to 5,765 souls.
