New Hampshire’s theater in the mountains was once Hollywood’s secret test market for new films

Karl Abbott’s Colonial Theatre Transforms White Mountains Entertainment

Karl Abbott grew up in hotel royalty. His dad Frank owned grand hotels all over the White Mountains by 1914.

That summer, Karl first brought cars to northern New Hampshire by turning family stables into garages. But then he got a bigger idea.

One day, he stared at an empty lot across from his hotel. Within months, he hired architect Francis Kennard to build the Colonial Theatre in Egyptian Revival style.

It opened July 1915 with Cecil B.DeMille’s latest film and the region’s first electric marquee.

The Colonial Theatre still stands in Bethlehem today, where you can admire its lotus flowers and winged solar disc facade.

Frank Abbott Started With Just One Hotel

Frank Abbott bought the Uplands Hotel in Bethlehem in 1886, starting what grew into a hotel empire. He quickly bought more properties across the White Mountains.

Soon, Frank H. Abbott and Son owned the Forest Hills in Franconia and the popular Profile House in Franconia Notch.

The family later added hotels in Florida, North Carolina, New York, and Boston. Young Karl Abbott watched his father turn one hotel into a multi-state business.

The Family Business Welcomed Karl With Open Arms

Karl Abbott joined his dad as a partner in Frank H. Abbott and Son, learning the hotel business from scratch.

He helped run their growing list of fancy hotels, picking up skills along the way. During this time, Bethlehem became the northeast’s top summer spot.

The town had more than 30 hotels and got four trains daily full of visitors. Karl noticed their guests were rich, well-traveled folks who wanted the best of everything.

Cars Replaced Horses At The Abbott Stables

In summer 1914, Karl Abbott and his friend “Doc” Clark took a big step.

They turned the old family horse stables into garages for cars. Soon, Hupmobiles, “flivvers,” and Stanley Steamers had a home in northern New Hampshire.

This was the first time modern car tech came to the area in a major way. The car business showed Karl had a good eye for new trends.

An Empty Lot Sparked A Million-Dollar Idea

One day in 1914, Karl Abbott looked at a vacant lot across from his hotel and saw a chance.

In his 1950 book “Open for the Season,” he wrote about seeing “a modern movie house with electrically lighted marquee” in his mind.

Karl knew their fancy hotel guests would love having access to the latest craze – moving pictures. The White Mountains had plenty of nature but few modern fun spots.

Karl decided to fix that.

The Perfect Architect Lived 1,500 Miles Away

Karl remembered meeting architect Francis J. Kennard around 1910 during work on the Gasparilla Inn in Boca Grande, Florida.

Kennard was known for big Florida buildings like the Belleview-Biltmore Hotel. Despite the distance, Karl knew Kennard got what rich resort guests wanted.

The architect had built courthouses, hotels, and public buildings all over Florida.

Karl trusted Kennard to create spaces that would wow the same type of fancy clients who stayed at Abbott hotels.

Egyptian Style Made The Theater Stand Out

Francis J. Kennard designed the Colonial Theatre with Egyptian Revival style, making it unlike anything else in New England.

The style used lotus flower designs and winged sun discs that caught everyone’s eye. Egyptian Revival was very popular in the mid-1910s.

The Colonial became one of just a few Egyptian Revival theaters in the world. The unique look made a bold statement in a town full of old New England buildings.

Workers Built Through Snowy Mountain Winter

Construction crews broke ground in late 1914, working through harsh White Mountain winter to finish the theater.

The project followed Kennard’s detailed plans, with account books showing payments to him for his work.

Building a modern theater was a big risk for Karl Abbott, especially in a town mostly empty during winter.

By spring 1915, as resort season got close, workers finished what would become northern New Hampshire’s top spot for shows.

Hollywood Came To Town On Opening Night

The Colonial Theatre opened on July 1, 1915, showing Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Girl of the Golden West” to an excited crowd.

Just as Karl planned, the theater had the region’s first electric marquee, lighting up Bethlehem’s main street.

The summer resort season was busy with hotels full of wealthy guests.

These fancy travelers loved the modern venue, making it an instant hit. The Colonial quickly became known as the place to see good films in the White Mountains.

Movie Studios Used Bethlehem As Their Test Audience

The Colonial’s wealthy crowd made it perfect for Hollywood studios to test their films.

Movie companies started using the theater to see how their films might play with rich audiences before wider release.

This helped the Colonial build a name in movie industry circles as an important place. A small New Hampshire mountain town became a footnote in early Hollywood history.

Karl’s idea paid off in ways he never thought of when he first saw that empty lot.

Hotel Business Kept Karl Too Busy For Movies

As the theater did well, Karl found himself too busy managing the Profile House. The hotel business took more and more of his time.

The Profile House was the best of the Abbott hotels, needing constant care to keep its good name. Karl realized he couldn’t focus on both businesses properly.

Something had to change, and he started thinking about finding new owners for his theater.

A Train Ride Led To A Surprise Sale

In 1922, Karl Abbott got on a night train to Boston and sat near Jack Eames, president of Interstate Amusement Company.

Their casual talk turned to business, and before reaching Boston, they made a deal. Karl sold the Colonial Theatre to Eames during this chance meeting.

The quick decision let Karl focus fully on the family’s hotel business. With a handshake on that train, Karl’s seven-year movie business adventure ended.

Visiting Colonial Theatre, New Hampshire

The Colonial Theatre at 2050 Main Street in Bethlehem brings Karl Abbott’s 1914 vision to life in a 300-seat historic venue.

Abbott transformed a vacant lot across from his family’s hotel into northern New Hampshire’s first modern entertainment space, complete with the region’s first electric marquee.

The theater runs May through October with assigned seating for live shows and general admission for films.

Buy tickets only through bethlehemcolonial.org, the box office, or Catamount Arts.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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