Then and Now - The Broadway Theatre - Somerville, MA

The Broadway Theatre, originally named Hurst’s Broadway, opened on November 22, 1915, with stock available for public purchase, offering both profit-sharing and complimentary admissions. Its grand opening, attended by the mayor and local dignitaries, marked the theatre as a key venue for films, drama, and vaudeville. Despite offering a diverse program of live entertainment, music, and popular “photo plays,” Hurst’s ownership was short-lived. 

A year after opening, the theater went bankrupt and was sold to Hoffman’s Theatre Company, followed by a purchase from the Viano family in 1929. After significant renovations, it reopened under the leadership of Arthur Pearson, a pioneer of film in Somerville.

The Broadway Theatre closed on March 4, 1982, due to declining business and competition from the multiplex at Assembly Square Mall. After years of disuse, the theatre was slated for redevelopment in 2003 and underwent a $3.8 million renovation. Designed by Mostue and Associates, it reopened in August 2011 as Mudflat Studios, a sculpture studio, doubling the size of its previous location to 16,000 square feet.