7th Street Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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7th Street Theatre
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 Location in Washington (state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hoquiam, Washington |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | Huntington & Torbitt, Griffith, Edwin St. John |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001334 |
| Added to NRHP | August 6, 1987 |
The 7th Street Theatre is a special old movie theatre in downtown Hoquiam, Washington. It opened its doors in 1928. This theatre is one of the few remaining "atmospheric theatres" in the United States.
An atmospheric theatre is designed to make you feel like you're outdoors. It often has ceilings painted to look like a night sky with twinkling stars. The 7th Street Theatre has these cool features. A group called the 7th Street Theatre Association runs the theatre. They put on live shows and play movies. Their goal is to make the theatre look as much like it did in 1928 as possible.
A Look Inside the Theatre
The theatre was built by Olaf T. Taylor. Edwin St. John Griffith designed it to look like a Spanish outdoor setting. When you walk into the lobby, you can see beautiful murals painted on the ceiling. There's also a fountain, though it's not currently working.
Inside the main auditorium, the ceiling has twinkling lights. These lights make you feel like you are sitting under a starry night sky. The theatre also has a new sound system. The ropes and pulleys used for stage curtains were replaced in 2008. The seats were fixed up by people at the McNeil Island Correctional Institute. In 2009, the ceiling was repaired. As of 2018, the theatre's board was working to raise money to fix the back wall.
The Amazing Theatre Organ
On March 20, 2008, volunteers brought the theatre's original organ back home. Theatre organs were very popular in the early days of movies. They would play music and sound effects during silent films. By 1944, these organs were not as popular. The 7th Street Theatre's organ was sold to a church in Parkland.
Later, in 1960, a man named George Martin bought the organ. He moved it all the way to his home in Clute, Texas. Thanks to a donation, mainly from Tom Quigg and Pat Oleachea, the organ was bought back. It was then moved by truck back to the 7th Street Theatre. Installing the organ was a big job. It was completed around 2012 and cost about $12,000.
A Historic Landmark
The 7th Street Theatre is a very important building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. This means it's recognized as a special place in American history. In 2008, it also became the first building in Hoquiam to be on the city's own historic register. This shows how much people value this unique theatre.
