Preparing to pass the torch: Colonial Theatre owners hope history lives on

NORTH CANAAN – Untouched and dust-covered in the attic of the Colonial Theatre are fading spools of movie tickets, retro popcorn buckets, yellowed bowling score sheets and wooden armchairs from the building’s original movie seats. Frozen in time, the relics tell the story of more than a century of community gatherings as the theater’s current owners celebrate its past, reflect on their three-year stewardship and prepare to pass the torch.

Now for sale, the 10,000-square-foot venue and parking lot is up for grabs for $695,000 and the owners say they are looking for the right buyer with an interest in preserving its history and charm.

The Colonial Theatre has been a part of North Canaan’s downtown since 1923. Its latest chapter began in 2023 when Lenore and Mark Mallett joined Dave and Stacy Fiorillo to purchase the long-vacant building with a vision of restoring it as a gathering place.

“We wanted to pay honor to its past,” Lenore Mallett said. “It was such a lovely gathering space for so long that we all felt a calling to bring that back to the community because it’s such a gem and it should be shared.

The owners’ vision was clear – revive the building’s exterior and get people in the doors.

Their first order of business was to provide the theater with what they described as a much-needed facelift.

From the street, the building appeared neglected, Mallett said. Peeling paint and a faded marquee masked an interior that she said was surprisingly well preserved after a major renovation in the early 2000s.

Focusing on curb appeal, they repaired the marquee, painted the whole building, and brought back some of the “vibrancy.”

The result, Mallett said, was a transformation that brought a diverse range of vendors, renters and tenants to the building and its two first-floor retail spaces. Since reopening, the building has housed a bakery, a photography studio and a children’s arts and crafts center while hosting movie nights, birthday parties and private events.

A collection of posters and newspaper clippings.Photo by Aly Morrissey

The history

The Colonial Theatre’s history is as interesting and diverse as the many nooks and crannies within the building itself.

Built in 1923 by hotelier Seth Moseley as a gift for his wife, the building was originally known as “The Casino.”

Mallett said his wife often traveled from New Haven and grew bored of rural living, prompting Moseley to build her a three-level entertainment space.

“Downstairs had the bowling alley, the main floor had the theater, and upstairs was a dance hall,” Mallett said, adding that the main floor had air conditioning, a rare luxury at the time.

The bowling alley had eight alleys and advertised a “fully equipped soda and snack shop to refresh you.”

The Casino was sold in 1929 to businessman Anthony Boscardin, who modernized the building, changed its name, and created the art-deco interior that The Colonial Theatre is still known for today.

Old ticket stubs can still be found in the attic showing movies that cost between 15 and 25 cents during the early days.

The theater struggled financially and closed in 1997. After undergoing a roughly $1 million renovation in the early 2000s, it shuttered its doors in 2010 and remained closed for a decade until the Mallett and Fiorillo families purchased it.

The future

Although the owners are ready to step aside, they hope the building’s next chapter builds on the foundation they’ve laid.

“We think the next steward, if they came in and were passionate about entertainment or food and beverage, this could certainly get taken to the next level,” Mallett said.

The theater will continue to operate with its regularly scheduled sponsored movies and private events while the owners search for a buyer.

“We’ve greased the wheels,” Mallett said. “We opened the doors, launched the business, created a website and built a booking and ticketing system. We have all the nuts and bolts, so if there was someone willing to take it on, it could really be something special.”