ASSEMBLY
THEATRE
Harrisville, Rhode Island
ASSEMBLY THEATRE
The historic theatre has developed a reputation for unusual occurrences, including a longstanding story about a presence haunting the rear bathrooms.
THE CASE
The Assembly Theatre, at 26 East Avenue in Harrisville, was built in 1934 by textile mill owner and philanthropist Austin T. Levy and his wife, June Rockwell Levy. The Levys donated the building to the Town of Burrillville as part of Levy’s broader effort to provide community facilities during the Depression era.
The theatre was designed as a community venue for plays, movies and performing artists. Over the decades it has served as a movie theatre, live-performance venue and community gathering space. It sits beside Harrisville Pond and the waterfall, and the building is part of the Harrisville Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2018, NRI NOW reported that several people associated with the theatre’s repertory company had described unusual or paranormal occurrences there. According to people who have worked inside it, the building has developed a reputation for some decidedly unusual activity. RISEUP Paranormal eventually investigated the theatre and documented some unusual findings of its own.
It was also the longtime site of RISEUP Paranormal’s annual Ocean State ParaCon charity event.
