Fourth Avenue Theatre (Anchorage, Alaska) facts for kids
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Fourth Avenue Theatre
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 Location in Downtown Anchorage
Location in Anchorage
Location in Alaska
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| Location | 630 West 4th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska |
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| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built | 1941-1947 |
| Built by | C.W. Hufeisen |
| Architect | B. Marcus Priteca and Augustine A. Porreca |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001620 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 05, 1982 |
The Fourth Avenue Theatre, also called the Lathrop Building, was a special movie theater in Anchorage, Alaska. It was famous for its unique Art Deco style. This building started being built in 1941. Work stopped during World War II but finished in 1947. It was a large theater with 960 seats. It showed the newest movies until the 1980s.
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A Special Movie Theater
The theater was designed by B. Marcus Priteca. He was a top designer of movie theaters in America. He worked with A.A. Porreca, an architect from Seattle. They designed it for Cap Lathrop. He was a very important businessman in Alaska.
Cool Design and Decorations
The theater's lobby had a beautiful mural. It was made with gold leaf and showed Mount McKinley. The main movie room was decorated with silver and gold murals. These were painted by Anthony Heinsbergen and Frank Bouman. The ceiling even had a picture of the Big Dipper. This is a symbol of Alaska. The building was made of strong reinforced concrete. Its outside walls had special stone called travertine.
More Than Just a Theater
The Lathrop Building was more than just a movie theater. It also had offices for Cap Lathrop's radio and television stations. There was a restaurant inside too. Later, in 1959-1960, a fancy apartment was added on the top floor.
What Happened to It?
After some time, the city of Anchorage worked on the theater. A company then used it for banquets and events. In 2006, a group called Rasmuson Foundation offered money. They wanted the city to buy and fix up the theater. The idea was to use it for meetings. But the city decided not to take the loan. So, these plans did not happen.
In 2011, a new owner, Peach Investments, bought the theater. They shared new plans to fix it up. However, in May 2022, the Anchorage mayor, Dave Bronson, announced new plans. These plans included tearing down most of the city block. This included the theater building. The owner, Peach Holdings, LLC, planned to rebuild part of the theater's front and its famous sign. The Fourth Avenue Theatre was torn down in late 2022.
See also
- KENI Radio Building, another building designed by A.A. Porreca
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Anchorage, Alaska
