The chapel is housed in a building originally constructed as a theater in 1926. 15-17 Broadway was the address at the time. The structure had a frontage of 985 feet and four stores and six apartments. The owner of the spectacular design was a guy called Adam, whose surname is unknown. Additionally, he was the owner of the Paramount Theater in Newark, New Jersey, which is no longer open to the public.
The Broadway Theater was initially named the Broadway Theater. The name is still inlaid in tile on the sidewalk at the entrance to the building. At each performance, the theater would host vaudeville and one motion picture. Adam imported the acts who performed in North Bergen from the Paramount in Newark. They were then top-billed performers and singing acts like Vaughn Monroe.
Then, in 1927, a second theater was constructed on Bergenline Avenue in North Bergen. It was given the name The Embassy when it first opened its doors to the public. It started screening brand new and cutting-edge first-run movies as soon as it opened. It quickly became a significant competitor. Adam parted up with the Broadway Theater and sold it to Al and Irwin Margolies, brothers. They submitted the paperwork to change their name. A few months later, in November 1948, the Astor Theater Building Corp. was established.
The theater was renamed the Astor. The new manager was Charles Feinholtz, a guy who was also a radio broadcaster at the time. The Margolies brothers were local businessmen who owned the Mayfair, Rialto, Rivoli, and Temple Theaters in West New York and Union City. The Astor Theater Building Corp sold the structure to St. Joseph of the Palisades Church in 1953. Around the same period, the pipe organ that lives and breathes became a component of Mary’s Chapel of the Immaculate Heart.
The chapel was renovated and restored in 1997-1998 to represent the warmth and contemplative environment of the House of God while maintaining the dignity and beauty of the time. On May 19, 1998, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel was rededicated. A fantastic read here.
A parishioner named Anne Bozovich, the North Bergen Assessor’s Office, and a guy named Dan Yacono, who had previously worked as the manager of the Mayfair Theater, all contributed information. It was a peculiar circumstance because Dan’s brother worked as the projectionist at the Astor Theater.The Parish is also a center for Christian service to the brothers and sisters. Please feel free to contact the Church of Saint Joseph of the Palisades with your questions or concerns in person or by e-mail or by calling them at (201) 854-7006, or by visiting their website.
