By Tom Adkinson
October 2, 2026
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| The Latchis Theatre earns its “Greco Deco” designation with signs of the zodiac on the ceiling and statues of Greek gods along the walls. Image by Tom Adkinson |
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – The four-story building at Main Street and Flat Street captures the essence of Brattleboro. Its hallmarks are a 1930s movie palace, built in a design style its owners call “Greco Deco,” a 30-room boutique hotel with vestiges of its origin when it catered to upscale East Coast guests, and the history of a Greek immigrant family’s success in America.
It also symbolizes Brattleboro’s resurrection from a former New England mill town into a popular destination known for art, culture, and entertainment.
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| A statue of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and a floral mural decorate an alcove in the Latchis Theatre. Image by Tom Adkinson |
This is the Latchis Theatre and the Latchis Hotel, vibrant businesses rooted in the 1901 arrival of Demetrius Latchis. He left a village in the Greek Peloponnese, passed through Ellis Island with $10 in his pocket, and arrived in Brattleboro in Vermont’s Green Mountains because he had relatives in nearby Keene, N.H.
Latchis started selling fruit from a street cart, then opened a fruit stand and later a grocery. His business grew, as did his family, until 1920 when one of his sons changed the family’s trajectory.
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| The building housing the Latchis Theatre and the Latchis Hotel is a landmark in downtown Brattleboro, a town now known for arts, culture, and entertainment. Image by Tom Adkinson |
The son surreptitiously bought movie projection equipment and established the family in the entertainment industry. The first Latchis movie theater opened on the site of today’s Brattleboro structure, and that led to 13 more theaters across New England, a veritable empire.
Demetrius Latchis died in 1932, and his four sons decided to honor him with a special building, “a town within a town – all under one roof.” Special, indeed. The building, an Art Deco rarity in Vermont, featured the theater, a hotel, a restaurant, and retail. Touches from the designers changed Art Deco into Greco Deco.
Construction cost $600,000, equal to $14 million in today’s economy.
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| Patrons heading for a showing of “A Streetcar Named Desire” check on future classic films due at the Latchis Theatre. Image by Tom Adkinson |
The theater is like none other. The lobby shines with intricate terrazzo floors, and the 750-seat auditorium is a veritable art gallery. Statues of Athena, Cleo, and Thalia watch over moviegoers from theatrically lit alcoves; signs of the Zodiac are on the ceiling, and a mural of Cupid and Psyche decorates the walls. Hebe, the goddess of youth and cupbearer for Zeus, guards the entrance.
The Von Trapp Family performed here in 1939 and 1945, a precursor to shows from entertainers such as Roseanne Cash, Richie Havens, Leo Kottke, Don McLean and Paula Poundstone.
The theater shows first-run movies and has found a niche with classics such as “Casablanca,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “The African Queen,” and “King Kong” (the original “King Kong,” not some modern adaptation).
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The Latchis Hotel remains true to its historical roots and recognizes that not every modern guest is familiar with radiators. Image by Tom Adkinson |
The theater and hotel had ups and downs over the decades, but like Brattleboro, they hung on.
“This is a town that maintains community,” said Jon Potter, executive director of Latchis Arts, the nonprofit entity that operates the businesses, explaining that the businesses are dynamic components of a town now driven by arts and culture instead of manufacturing.
Just outside the doors of the Latchis Hotel are art galleries, the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (housed in a historic railroad station), the delightful Museum of Things Tiny and Found, and a variety of restaurants.
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Each of the 30 rooms in the Latchis Hotel has a traditional phonograph. Supplies of vintage vinyl albums are on each floor. Image by Tom Adkinson |
Today’s hotel guests truly are in touch with history. The rooms have the original bathroom fixtures, and many have original furniture built in 1931 in Milford, N.H. Perhaps the best note of authenticity is a sheet in each room that explains how the radiator works.
Another sign of hospitality is a record player in each room. A rack of vinyl albums is on each floor, and guests receive a certificate good for a $1 vintage album at a record store nearby. Who needs a music streaming service when you can shop for a vinyl treasure of your very own?
Trip Planning Resources: LatchisHotel.com, Brattleboro.com, BrattleboroChamber.org and Visit-Vermont.com
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available at Amazon.com.
