Hellertown’s Former Movie Theater to House Dental Practice

Hellertown’s iconic movie theater has won a new lease on life, but it won’t involve motion pictures.

The blonde brick Art Deco landmark will house a dental practice–a change some local residents said they weren’t happy about after it was finalized in June, with borough council’s approval of plans submitted by Dr. James Newman.

After a delay caused by the death of the building’s former owner in September, interior demolition work at The Movies began this week, as evidenced by a large dumpster on Main Street in front of the building and a borough-issued dumpster permit taped to an exterior door.

Built in 1940 as the Sauconia, and owned by the Kofler family for decades, the Movies ceased to operate as a theater in 2001.

In the years that followed the building mostly sat vacant, and some of its fixtures were sold. A leaky roof caused interior damage, and the sidewalk in front of the marquis slowly crumbled.

Newman’s plans call for restoration of the facade, as well as the removal of a rear section of the building to create a small parking area.

The building retains a special place in the hearts of many longtime Saucon Valley residents, some of whom still recall with nostalgia the movies they watched over the years within its darkened auditorium.