The Eagle, Oak Bluffs’ Island Theatre, was sold to Alfred Hall in 1929, who by 1935 owned all of the Island’s movie theatres. In terms of antiquity the theatre was built in 1915. It would be easy to dismiss as a building aging poorly, leaning towards decrepitude and an old theatre with its best days past.

The Eagle was built as a movie theatre and used only for that until August 17, 2012 when it showed possibly its last movie, Sparkle, produced by frequent visitor Debra Chase Martin. Henry Louis (Skip) Gates Jr. brought folks together to screen the movie the same week it debuted nationally. The earliest documented showing of a motion picture was in June 1894 in Richmond, Ind., when Charles Francis Jenkins used his Phantoscope projector to feature a vaudeville dancer. Jenkins sold the projector to Thomas Edison, who changed its name to Vitascope and used it to show films at Koster and Bial’s Music Hall in New York city in 1896.

The first storefront theatre dedicated exclusively to showing motion pictures was Vitascope Hall in New Orleans in 1896 — but it was converted from a vacant store and no longer exists. Surprisingly, a search for specifically built theatres in continuous use for movies in America didn’t turn up as many candidates as one would expect.

I’ve been able to identify only four theatres built specifically, used continuously and still used as movie theatres that are older than the Island. The Graham Opera House (now the State Theatre) in Washington, Iowa, has been showing movies since 1894 but is closed due to a fire. The Roxie in San Francisco opened its doors as the C. H. Brown Theatre in 1909. The Priest Theatre in High Springs, Fla., has been used as a theatre since its construction in 1910 but began with vaudeville, not movies. A Kickstarter campaign was recently used to renovate it. The Empress Theatre in Vallejo, Calif., opened in 1911 and has had several names and renovations. It was closed for about 20 years, but is an excellent example of early twentieth century theatre design, enjoys landmark status and hosts many diverse events in addition to movies.

The Elks Theatre in Middletown, Pa., opened in October 1911 but closed recently, lacking funds to go digital. The Park Theatre in Estes Park, Colo., was built in 1913 as a motion picture theatre and upgraded to digital for its 100th anniversary. It was listed on the National Register in 1984. The Ruby Theatre in Chelan, Wash., was built as a movie theatre in 1914. It’s privately owned, continues showing first-run films and has digital equipment. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

This somewhat cursory review may be inadequate in the circumstance but the Island Theatre, in all probability, is at least one of the 10 oldest movie theatres in the country. That seems significant enough to belabor the point next week — and perhaps this could be a project for the historic commission?

Holly Nadler will be signing the 20th anniversary edition of Haunted Island at Edgartown Books tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. I wish the signing could have been here in her old bookstore on Circuit avenue.

Tomorrow at 3 p.m. Meditations of Peace will take place in the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Chapel. Sponsored by Island clergy, musicians, artists, writers and the interfaith community of Martha’s Vineyard, all are invited to attend. Call Carolyn Eddy at 508-696-1839 for more information.

ACE MV is sponsoring Writing From the Heart workshops beginning Nov. 3, and there is more information at acemv.org or by calling 508-693-9222.

Next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. the Oak Bluffs library hosts a session featuring Tom Dresser’s book Music on Martha’s Vineyard with songs from Liam Weiland, Mary Jane Miner and Vintage Voices.

With condolences to family and friends, I regret informing you Cecile Gordon died peacefully in her sleep last Monday morning after a long illness. Aunt Cecile, rest in peace.

Oak Bluffs’ Gretchen Underwood and Christine Todd are write-in candidates for the county commission in Tuesday’s election. I’ll write those guys in.

Great news, thanks in large part to Ocean Park’s Gwen Norton, the Loïs Maillot Jones Pierre-Noël Trust is providing the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital with some of the late artist’s work. Congratulations all.

Ending on a note with a non sequitur, happy Halloween.

Keep your foot on a rock.

Send your Oak Bluffs news to: sfinley@mvgazette.com.