Golden Gate Theater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Golden Gate Theater
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Golden Gate Theater, 2008
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5170 E Whittier Blvd, East Los Angeles, California |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Balch Brothers; Vega Corp. |
| Architectural style | California Churrigueresque |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002192 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1982 |
The Golden Gate Theater is a historic building in East Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1927 as a grand movie palace. The theater was designed in a special style called California Churrigueresque. This style has lots of fancy decorations.
In 1982, the Golden Gate Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important building to protect. The theater stopped showing movies in 1986. After being empty for many years, it became a CVS Pharmacy and reopened in 2012.
Contents
A Grand Movie Palace
The Golden Gate Theater was a very large place. It could seat almost 1,500 people! It was built at a busy spot in East Los Angeles. This was at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard.
Who Built and Designed It?
A man named Peter Snyder built the theater. He was known as the "Father of the East Side." The architects were William and Clifford A. Balch. They also designed other famous theaters like the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles.
The theater's design was very detailed. Its entrance looked like a famous old building in Spain. When it was planned in 1927, newspapers said it would be a place for plays and movies. It was part of a larger building called the Vega Building. This building had shops and apartments. The Vega Building also had a tall, eight-sided tower.
A Special Design
Records show that the theater kept its original look for a long time. Its special features and decorations stayed the same. This helped it keep its "sense of time and place." It was a great example of its original design.
Closure and Earthquake Damage
The Golden Gate Theater stopped showing movies in 1986. A church used the building for a few years. In 1987, a big earthquake, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, hit the area. The Vega Building, which was around the theater, was damaged.
Officials decided the Vega Building was unsafe. So, it was torn down in 1992. This left the theater building standing alone. It looked like an empty shell, hinting at its grand past.
Efforts to Save the Theater
For many years, people tried to save the Golden Gate Theater. After the earthquake, some wanted to tear it down. County inspectors said the building was unsafe. Businesses inside, like a jewelry store, had to leave.
Stopping Demolition
In 1988, demolition work started. But officials and community members quickly stepped in. They stopped the work. Leaders like Ed Edelman and Gloria Molina helped. They wanted to make sure the historic building was not destroyed. There had been a mistake in giving permission to tear it down.
Fighting for History
In 1994, the family who owned the property wanted to remove the theater from the National Register of Historic Places. This would make it easier to tear it down. But groups like the Mothers of East Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Conservancy fought back. They pointed out that the theater was one of only a few buildings in Los Angeles with its special Spanish style.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided the theater was a "historical resource." The State Historical Resources Commission also said no to removing it from the historic list.
New Plans and a New Life
In 2003, a new owner bought the property. There were talks about turning it into a drug store. People who wanted to save the theater worried. They feared the inside of the building would be changed too much. They wanted to keep its tall ceilings and special archways.
Some people hoped the theater could become a performing arts center. They thought it would be amazing for the community. But in 2010, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved turning it into a 24-hour drug store. The Golden Gate Theater officially opened as a CVS Pharmacy on August 19, 2012.
See also
