06/10/2026
See recent posts for how YOU can help. Here is an awesome note from Adrian Scott Fine !
Dear Members of the Philadelphia Historical Commission
I am writing to strongly urge you to prioritize the preservation of the Boyd Theatre’s defining historic features—especially its projecting marquee—as you consider the future of this important place. Features like the marquee are not incidental; they are at the heart of what makes a historic theatre building recognizable, memorable, and meaningful to the public.
For generations, theatre marquees have acted as beacons along commercial streets, creating energy, visibility, and a natural place for people to gather. The Boyd’s marquee does exactly that. It shapes how people experience the street and immediately signals the building’s identity in a way that replacement signage simply cannot. Once these elements are removed, something essential is lost—the Boyd becomes disconnected from its history, its original purpose, and the shared memory of it as a former movie palace.
Preserving projecting theatre marquees can successfully coexist with new uses. In Downtown Los Angeles, the former Rialto Theatre—now an Urban Outfitters—still has its marquee, which continues to enliven the street and ground the building in its history. The Tower Theatre, now occupied by Apple, offers another example, where the marquee and key architectural features were retained, creating a space that feels both new and deeply rooted in its past. See attached images of both theatres today, complete with their projecting theatre marquee. These projects make clear that preservation and adaptive reuse can and should go hand in hand. In fact, it is often these distinctive elements that give a project its identity and make it successful over time.
As a former Philadelphia resident and a board member of the Friends of the Boyd, this issue is especially meaningful to me. I respectfully urge the Commission to ensure that the Boyd Theatre’s marquee and other character-defining features are retained. The owner made a commitment to preserve this portion of the building, even as the auditorium was lost. Keeping that commitment matters—not just for the building itself, but for maintaining a visible, tangible connection to Philadelphia’s architectural and cultural heritage.
Please see my attached PDF letter.
Sincerely,
Adrian Scott Fine
President & CEO
Los Angeles Conservancy
