Colonial Theater (Augusta, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Colonial Theater
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 139 Water St., Augusta, Maine |
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| Built | 1913; 1926 |
| Architect | Harry S. Coombs |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts; Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000834 |
| Added to NRHP | October 8, 2014 |
The Colonial Theater is an old and important movie theater located at 139 Water Street in downtown Augusta, Maine. It was first built in 1913. After a fire in 1926, it was rebuilt. The theater shows off a beautiful style called Beaux Arts architecture, and it even has some early hints of the Art Deco style. It's special because it's the last movie theater building left in downtown Augusta. The Colonial Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Before that, it had been empty for many years.
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About the Colonial Theater Building
The Colonial Theater is located on Water Street, which is a main street in downtown Augusta. It sits on the east side of the street, with the Kennebec River behind it. This building is large and rectangular, with two stories. It is made of brick and has a flat roof.
What the Outside Looks Like
The front of the theater is wide, with seven main sections. These sections are separated by brick columns. The parts on the very ends have extra exits on the first floor. The middle part has three main entrances on the ground level.
Upstairs, there are windows with stone sills. The three windows in the center have decorative stones above them. The very top of the middle section has a fancy wall called a parapet.
Inside the Theater
A lot of the original design is still inside the theater. However, some parts have been damaged. This happened because the building was empty for a long time. Water and animals got inside and caused problems.
History of the Colonial Theater
The Colonial Theater was built in 1913. It was designed by Harry S. Coombs, who was a very important architect in Maine at that time. This theater is the only one left from downtown Augusta's past. It stands out because of its unique mix of Beaux Arts and Georgian Revival styles. It also has features that hinted at the Art Deco style, which became popular later.
Fire and Rebuilding
In 1926, a big fire badly damaged the theater. But it was rebuilt! During the rebuilding, some small changes were made. These changes made the emerging Art Deco features even more noticeable.
Movies and Music
In its early days, the Colonial Theater showed silent movies. These movies didn't have sound, so live orchestras played music to go along with them! The stage was later made bigger, covering up the area where the orchestra used to sit.
The theater was also where silent films made by Holman Francis Day first premiered. He was from Maine, but sadly, those films are now lost. The Colonial Theater could hold about 1200 people, which is a lot! There used to be another theater on Water Street, but it burned down in 1983.
See also
