Jersey City, Journal Square, Stanley Theater sign detail

The 4,300 seat Stanley Theater first opened on March 22, 1928. It was the 2nd largest theater on the East Coast surpassed only by New York's Radio City Music Hall. In every respect it was grandiose. A grand staircase and impressive crystal chandelier highlighted the three-story lobby. It hosted both live performances and motion pictures until financial difficulties forced its closure in 1978. The Jehovah's Witnesses purchased the property in 1983, renovated the interior through the efforts of thousands of volunteers, and reopened it as a meeting hall in August 1985