The Heart of The Town

Words by Orlando Callegari Jr.

Like the wallflower and the social butterfly, Rutherford has offered its hand to the Williams Center for as long as the two have existed.

Photo by Jair Cabal - Rutherford NJ

Prior to the theater’s arrival, before the town had been established, much of what would become Rutherford was farmland owned by former New Jersey legislator and U.S. Senator, John Rutherfurd. 

Whether a clerical error by the USPS or a partial tribute to the then up-and-coming politician Rutherford B. Hayes, the spelling was changed to “Rutherford” and the name was cemented on September 21st, 1881 when the area officially seceded from Union Township and was established with roughly 1,000 residents.

Little more than a generation later, opening April 22nd, 1922, the Rivoli Theater brought life and amusement to the burgeoning borough. The young suburb and theater’s fates quickly became entwined.

With the Erie Railroad cutting a line along its perimeter, the rest of the city radiated out like a sunburst on the horizon of its eastern border. The perfect placement for the town’s entertainment hub.

Both flourished for the next quarter century, as vaudeville shifted to cinema. The auditorium soon began hosting graduations, concerts and other community events, as well.

Unfortunately, an arsonist plagued the town in the late 1960s, setting fire to storefronts and some homes. Just a handful of years after that menace was abated, an unrelated fire in 1977 consumed a large portion of the Rivoli Theater, leaving it crippled for years.

The following decade meant struggle for the battle-scarred hall. News stories from that time were a constant barrage of “will-they-won’t-they”: “will they” being “will they raise enough money to survive” and “won’t they” meaning failure for the theater.

Fortunately, Rutherford was able to come to the rescue of the struggling theater. Fundraisers and holiday family shows kept the playhouse on its feet. By the mid-80s it was able to host the Black Maria Film festival and make plans for restoration. Sadly, financial troubles and waning audience interest pursued the theater through the turn of the century.

When Superstorm Sandy struck the East Coast in 2012, the Williams Center fared worse than most in town and was shuttered in October of that year.

The ageing auditorium struggled in more recent times as well, as many of the attractions that made it so lively began to disappear. Soon the movie screenings in the basement were the steadiest activity the theater had. The lockdown of 2020 was the final nail in the coffin. The Williams Center limped along into limbo for the following years with its fate uncertain. However, hope appeared in 2021 when Bergen County purchased the bankrupt property. The County then sold the theater to real estate developer Native Development.

Despite fear from the local art community that the site would become an office building or parking lot, Native has committed to keeping the theater an arts center.

Everlyn Spath-Mercado, longtime Rutherford resident and advocate for the Williams Center, said this about Native Development’s owner, Chuck Olivo:

“Mr. Olivo has spent time, effort and much money to create something that provides vast entertainment for all. The amount of business that surrounding restaurants and stores receive when the Center is open and active is very important to the success of our town. To see people happy with the show, movies, concerts and art makes me very happy.”

After one hundred years of ups and downs, the dance between this little arts center and the denizens of Rutherford continues. Here’s to a hopeful future.

Let the music play.