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 a really old movie theater in downtown Augusta, Maine. You can find it at 139 Water Street. This special building was first built in 1913. After a fire in 1926, it was rebuilt. It shows off a beautiful style called Beaux Arts architecture. It also has some cool features that hint at the Art Deco style, which became popular later. The Colonial Theater is the only old movie theater building left in downtown Augusta. It was added to a list of important places, the National Register of Historic Places, in 2014. It had been empty for many years before that.
Contents
Discovering the Colonial Theater
What Does It Look Like?
The Colonial Theater is a big, rectangular building. It has two floors and is made of brick. It stands on the east side of Water Street, which is a main street in downtown Augusta. The Kennebec River is behind the theater.
The front of the building is wide, with seven sections. The middle section has three main entrances. The top floor has windows with stone sills. The very top of the middle section has a fancy, decorated wall. Inside, many original parts of the theater are still there. However, because it was empty for so long, some parts got damaged by water and animals.
A Look Back in Time: The Theater's Story
The Colonial Theater was built in 1913. It was designed by Harry S. Coombs, who was a very famous architect in Maine at the time. This theater is the last one standing from the old downtown Augusta. It's special because it mixes two old styles: Beaux Arts and Georgian Revival. It also has hints of the Art Deco style, which was just starting to become popular.
In 1926, a big fire badly damaged the building. But it was rebuilt! During the rebuilding, some small changes were made. These changes made the Art Deco features stand out even more.
Silent Movies and More
When the theater first opened, it showed silent movies. Imagine watching a movie with no talking! Instead, there was live music played by an orchestra. The stage was later made bigger, covering the area where the orchestra used to sit.
The Colonial Theater was also where some early silent films by a Maine native, Holman Francis Day, were first shown. Sadly, these movies seem to be lost now. The theater was quite large, able to seat about 1200 people. It was one of two movie theaters on Water Street. The other one burned down in 1983.
See also
