MIDDLETOWN BOROUGH, DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. -- A petition to save what some call a Middletown, Dauphin County treasure, may have caught the attention of the borough's council.
The Elks Theatre has been around for more than 100 years.
The theater may be showing its age, but it's not showing any movies.
The theater has been dark for about a year as the borough's council debates spending the money to fix it up.
Some are making their voices heard with an online to save it.
The future of the Elks Theatre may be in doubt, but many fondly remember its past.
Moviegoer Rachel Spangler said "going there every year for my birthday, to see 'Uncle Remus,' every year. We used to go there every week too."
With no movies on the marquee since 2015, an effort is under way to prevent the Elks from becoming a silent theater, forever.
Movie fan Clyde Rabuck said "that will let people realize that the people of Middletown do want it, that it's their opinion of what they want, I think it's a good idea to have a petition."
The Middletown institution survived the rise of multiplexes, changed in ownership, and code violations.
Now it's survival depends upon the borough council spending $500,000 to complete its necessary renovations.
Moviegoer Carol Siegfried said "it's always been nice. I've enjoyed going there. It was a good sound system, and it was nice. I like it better than going to the mall."
"I went to the theater about 60 years ago, so we could sit up in the balcony, and I think they should save the theater," Rabuck said.
The online petition to Save the Elks has about 800 signatures, while the Middletown borough plans a special council meeting to discuss whether the theater will see any more coming attractions.
"This is part of Middletown, definitely, I don't want it to go, a lot if memories in there," Spangler said.
The council meeting to discuss the plan for the Elks Theatre will be held at the Borough Hall, Thursday, July 21st at 6 pm.