The Community Theatre was built in 1937 by Walter Reade. It flourished as a premier motion picture house until 1974 when it was sold by the Walter Reade organization. The theatre changed hands several times over the years until it was purchased by a local developer in 1986. It sat empty and in disrepair until 1994.
Thanks to massive cleanup efforts by a community-based volunteer corps, on September 29, 1994, the Community Theatre reopened to a sell-out crowd, featuring The Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Community Theatre's concert season has became a cultural fixture in New Jersey. As one reviewer remarked: "Morristown has suddenly come alive as a cultural and artistic center with attention focused on events at The Community Theatre on South Street."
