Construction Diary
Welcome to the Crandell’s Construction Diary, where we will share pictures, videos, news and longer articles about the construction and restoration process while the theater is closed for major renovation. We will continue to share details about upcoming off-site screenings and events for our patrons and community in our regular newsletter, which will also be archived here. Members will also be receiving a bi-weekly update with special announcements and perks tailored just for them.
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April 25, 2025
The Quirino Family Legacy
By Lael Locke, Co-chair, Crandell Capital Campaign
Despite its eponymous founder, when local people think of the Crandell they think of the Quirino family. Anthony “Tony” and Betty Quirino first managed the theater from 1953-1959 before becoming owners and operators in 1960 and running it till 1985. That was the year that their son Anthony Jr. purchased the Crandell from his father and ran it till his untimely death in 2010.
Anthony Henry Quirino was born in Chatham in 1923. His lifelong love of the Crandell began at an early age when, as a 9-year-old, he recalled being paid $1.50 a week to rewind the reels, though the projectionist wouldn’t let him touch anything else. He was 16 in 1939, the year that Gone With the Wind premiered and the year that Tony finally learned how to run the projector, eventually becoming the Crandell’s assistant projectionist one night a week. This skill proved useful when he was drafted into the Air Force in 1943 as a projectionist. It was during this time that Tony met and eventually married Minnie Lee King (affectionately known as Betty) while he was stationed in Florida. Anthony Jr., the first of the couple’s three sons, was born in 1947.
Tony and his wife Betty added personal touches to the Crandell inside and out. Betty’s handwriting was used to create the well-known Quirino’s marquee.
In 1949, Tony and his growing family returned to Chatham and the Crandell, where he worked full-time as a projectionist and part-time as assistant manager. He and Betty became a team, co-managing the theater from 1953-1960, when they finally became owner operators. Betty’s touches were everywhere: her handwriting was used to create the familiar “Quirino’s Crandell” marquee, and she hand-painted the little usher figure that welcomed moviegoers in the lobby to look like their youngest son, Shannon. She and Tony had a strict no-nonsense approach to appropriate behavior, and many local teens dreaded seeing their names posted on a list at the box office, which meant they were banned from the Crandell for a week or more.
In 1985, Anthony Quirino, Jr. bought the theater from his parents. Having literally grown up there, he claimed that owning the Crandell was his most endearing and proudest endeavor; he continued the proud family tradition until his untimely death in 2010 at a time when he had been negotiating with the then Chatham Film Club to sell them the building. With the Crandell’s future as a neighborhood cinema in jeopardy, the theater was purchased by local residents that same year. The rest, as they say, is history!
Chatham owes a great debt to the Quirino family, and their legacy will be honored when the Crandell reopens later this year. Though the new marquee will reference the design of the original 1926 one, the “Quirino’s” version is in private hands for safekeeping, as is the wooden usher, which will once again greet moviegoers in the lobby. And, yes, the beloved clock will be returned to its place of honor on the auditorium wall.
April 18, 2025
The Local Artisans Uncovering the Crandell’s Past
Reviving a local treasure is a community-wide effort that goes far beyond fundraising. In the Crandell’s case, two local artisans, Dave Savage, of Savage Metal Restoration, and Vance Pitkin, of Pitkin Co. Refinishers, are readying important original features of the theater for its 100th anniversary closeup.
Savage (above), a trained welder, knows his way around fine architectural metalwork. For the past thirty years, he’s restored pieces for historic, commercial and residential clients in New York City and throughout Columbia County. His 5,000 sq.ft. metal and woodworking shop in Austerlitz can handle every phase of welding, fabrication, machining, polishing, patina work, painting and woodworking.
When beginning work restoring the Crandell’s original lanterns (see Jan. 31, 2025 below), he was surprised to find the variety of colors underneath. “When I cleaned off the old black paint from one of the lanterns, I uncovered what may be the original finish: a satin black base with lightly brushed green accents,” he says. “You never know what work was previously done to a piece, so it was a pleasant surprise to uncover the original finish, which was in very good condition considering the age of the lantern.” He also expected to see the gold paint on the large fleur-de-lis around the top matched in the tiny scrolls running down the sides. “The blue and red alternating colors along the sides were another surprise. My guess is it may have been done to add some fun touches to the fixture.”
Vance Pitkin (above), a master craftsman at Pitkin Co. Refinishers, has been bringing old, historic, and unloved furniture back to life for more than 50 years. In his 6,000 sq. ft. facility in Malden Bridge, he and his team have restored furniture and architectural elements for residential clients across the region, as well as for museums and churches like The Clark Institute in Williamstown, MA, and St. James Church in Chatham. Having trained under English Master Restorer Barry Shadbolt in his workshop at Royal City Antiques in Vancouver, British Columbia, and with well-known West Coast color-matching expert Richard Gray, he says he’s learned something valuable from each talented person he’s been lucky enough to work with.
In addition to restoring the balcony seats, Pitkin is refurbishing the stamped-wood poster cases in the main lobby. “I originally thought that these cases were gesso or embossed plaster, but when I started removing the many coats of multicolor paint I discovered that they were solid wood, which was pressed to look like carved wood,” he says. “This is a process that was popular up through the early 20th Century, making me confident that these are original to the theater when built.”
As seen in the photos above, there’s much more detail in those poster frames than any of us may have realized. “I have been to many movies at the Crandell and like many of us, I never paid much attention to these cases, instead noticing the posters advertising the coming attractions,” he says.
Pitkin, a student of history, “particularly Chatham history,” says he is “excited to be involved in the important renovation of this iconic theater! Despite how long I have been in the restoration business, I still learn something new, or run into something I never saw before, almost every day. It never gets old.” Savage agrees. “I find it especially rewarding to be able to work on beautiful historic buildings and help bring them back to their original state,” he adds. “It’s nice to be able to take part in this project because it is preserving an important cultural part of the community and will continue to serve the area for years to come.”
April 11, 2025
A Facelift and an Actual Lift Coming Soon
Starting next fall, you’ll be able to practice your elevator pitch at the Crandell, as well as get an upgrade when visiting the offices above. This past week Bast Hatfield craftsmen have been framing out the new elevator that will ferry Crandell staff, board members, inquiring members, and special guests to and from the offices and conference room. While it may look like an elevator to the gallows at the moment, the next round of photos will tell an entirely different story.
April 3, 2025
An Abundance of Archways
These recent construction photos showcase a design element, based on the theater’s original front entryway and interior, that Joel Merker carried throughout the building in his architectural design: archways. Bast Hatfield craftsmen have been framing them out from the lobby and even backstage in recent weeks.
March 28, 2025
Then and Now: Ongoing Improvements
We’ve come a long way from some of our first renovations, above left, when The Chatham Film Club purchased the Crandell in 2010 and made necessary updates, starting with the roof and the ceiling (seen here) in the theater. The photo on the right shows how well that ceiling is holding up in a photo taken by Bast Hatfield this week. Note the color testing down front on the left, a sneak peek of things to come.
March 3, 2025
The New “Old” Marquee to Come
Fear not, community members and Crandell lovers! The new marquee, which is in the process of being made, has been designed to mirror the original 1926 version. It will be an elegant centerpiece on the face of our renovated theater.
There will be no rotating images or no garish multi-colored letters, just the basics. Although the new marquee will use an energy-saving LED technology to replicate the original letters, it will be far from the garish electronic billboards one sees on I-90. And because of the new technology, our staff will be able to easily update digitally what’s playing and coming soon. This information will be viewable from the sides of the marquee that are visible from the sidewalk in both directions.
Feb. 20, 2025
Time Traveling with Talented Bast Hatfield Crew Member Pavel Pissarenko
While stripping the interior of the building in preparation for the renovation work, the workers discovered a buried treasure. Underneath the flooring in the front section of the stage was an intact orchestra pit complete with a row of stage lights and an upright piano that had been used to accompany silent films. The piano was made by the Albany firm of Cable & Sons, circa 1925. The company built a full line of upright pianos, grand pianos, and player pianos. As talented crew member Pavel Pissarenko discovered, aside from some missing notes and in desperate need of tuning, it was ready for its next musical performance 100 years later.
Feb. 5, 2025
Take a Virtual Tour Through the Renovation
Bast Hatfield’s Safety Manager Dennis Gilmore used a drone to film this virtual fly through of the Crandell’s ongoing restoration and renovation. We’ve edited it for length so that you can more easily share it with your friends, neighbors and favorite businesses in town. The early work of stripping back the layers is revealing the original shape of the 1926 theater. Check back for monthly video updates on our progress!
Jan. 31, 2025
The Crandell’s Original 1926 Lanterns to be Restored
For the first two months, the Bast Hatfield construction team has been hard at work removing layers of old plaster, paint, and concrete in the theater and offices above. This messy yet necessary task is revealing the space’s “original bones” and architectural flourishes. But some of those original 1926 elements will get a special makeover before being reinstalled as part of the final interior design.
Hanging in the theater for nearly 100 years, and glowing with red bulbs for the past several decades, these Spanish Renaissance-style lanterns above were carefully removed early on in the process and are now headed out for restoration.
Made of sculpted iron with mica shades, the lights will get a full electrical upgrade and new finish. “The metal will be cleaned and refinished, and the mica film restored or replaced when needed,” explained Taconic Engineering’s Kylie Wyskochil. “The wiring, bulb socket, and light bulb will all be replaced and brought up to code.”
Wyskochil said they are in the final stages of selecting the right craftsman for this delicate job. “Our goal is to work with someone who has experience with fixtures of this style and era, and who has worked extensively with mica film in lighting fixtures.”
Architect Joel Merker and the team at Taconic Engineering used the original design of these interior lanterns to inform the selection of additional period-appropriate lanterns to fill the space. Lightology’s elegant “Costa Del Sol” wall mount design (left) echoes the original fixtures and will be installed at the base of the stairs to the balcony.“There will also be two ceiling mounted hexagonal lights from the same company (above right), with the same finished appearance, that will be installed in the hallways between the restrooms,” said Wyskochil. Those hexagonal fixtures in turn were inspired by two 1926 hexagonal pendants which used to hang above the concessions stand. “After these pendants are restored with the other six lanterns,” she added, “they will be hung above the two sets of double doors that bring you into the interior lobby,” where there will be a beautiful new display wall.
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