The Colonial Almost Became A Drapery Warehouse: Here's Why It Didn't

The Schuylkill River Heritage Center is celebrating a pair of Phoeixville men this week who used their wiles to preserve a beloved local landmark, The Phoenix is reporting.

Emmett Gruici, 87, and the late George Hinkle will be honored by the center on October 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Foundry.

The pair, among other exploits, teamed up to save The Colonial Theatre in 1995 when its beleaguered owner was considering selling. According to the paper, here’s what happened next.

[Schuylkill River Heritage Center president Barbara] Cohen said Gruici and Hinkle talked to the owner, hosted a successful event at the theatre and later talked he owner into selling the theatre to the Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation with the idea of turning it into a nonprofit. The Association for the Colonial Theatre later became the owner.

Cohen said if Hinkle and Gruici had not spoken to the owner about selling the theatre, it would have been a drapery warehouse.

Read the full story here.