Adam Tennis cut no corners when it came to his opening a new theater, The Colonia, in Norwich in 1914. He wanted the very best, and the customers have appreciated the efforts all these years later.

The Norwich Sun of Dec. 23 had plenty of praise for what it called an "architectural triumph" in its headline over the story. "Art has supplanted commercialism in the creation by masters of the Colonia Theater, that monument in the world of amusement temples, which stands in South Broad Street. In opening to an anticipating public this evening, the Colonia will strike a new tone in playhouse architecture besides projecting an amusement policy heretofore unknown to Norwich," began the article.

The new theater got its name by a contest. There were hundreds of suggestions, but the judges liked the entry by Fred N. Parks of Norwich.

The Colonia opened on a Wednesday night. On Monday morning there was a long line waiting when the box office opened. People came to see "The Things That Count," and the turnout was described as standing-room only. At one time, the theater had 1,700 seats, including an upper balcony.

Movies were still silent when the Colonia opened. Normally, one thinks of music accompanying those movies with a piano player, or perhaps a violinist. Adam Tennis brought in the best the area offered at the time. Wilbet Steinhauser and a symphony orchestra provided the musical accompaniment. "With Mr. Steinhauser swinging the baton, Norwich is assured a quality of melody that will surpass," The Norwich Sun said.

The Colonia was not the first movie house in Norwich. A 1907 advertisement shows there was The Majestic on South Broad Street. In the early 20th century, there was a good amount of competition in the city. The Strand opened on East Main Street in 1919 and lasted until 1932. Also in 1919, the Happy Hour was in business. Smalley’s, the Cooperstown-based movie theater chain, opened in 1932.

While the small downtown theaters have been disappearing, such as in Cooperstown, Sidney and Oneonta in recent memory, The Colonia has endured in downtown Norwich. Being the only movie theater today in Chenango County has its advantages, of course.

One of the only times the theater was out of business was due to a fire in March 1918. The fire was discovered on Sunday, March 10, by Tennis and some of his employees as they were previewing some films they were going to show that week. Despite a day of winds and near-zero temperatures, the fire department made quick work of containing the blaze, which did an estimated $70,000 worth of damage to the theater and adjoining businesses.

Tennis had the theater cleaned and repaired by March 19. The re-opening was greeted by a small crowd because of rumors that the theater was unsafe.

Tennis was the leader of The Chenango Theater Corp., which The Sun said, "is responsible for Norwich’s owning an artistic masterpiece, a home of the best in wholesome entertainment."

Tennis eventually left the business, and that claim of "wholesome" went by the wayside in the early 1970s. An April 1972 showing of "The Mark of The Devil" caused quite a stir among area parents.

In early 1973, the X-rated "Oh! Calcutta" caused an even bigger commotion in the community. Mayor George Carnrike fought the showing of the film, which was held over from its planned two-day showing. Carnrike joined a Norwich City Police officer outside the theater for all performances, not to scare people away, but to assure that no one younger than 18 was admitted.

Work began in February 1981 to convert The Colonia into two cinemas. The present marquee was refurbished during 1995-96. In June 1996 about 1,000 turned out for a "grand lighting" ceremony.

On Monday: Many attempts have been made to cure the problems of "Crash Corner," at the corners of Center and West streets in Oneonta.

City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.