Kiggins Theatre facts for kids
The Kiggins Theatre in 2012.
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| Address | 1011 Main St. Vancouver, Washington |
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| Type | Cinema |
| Capacity | 340 seats |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1936 |
| Architect | Day Walter Hilborn |
| Website | |
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Kiggins Theater
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| Built | 1936 |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000421 |
| Added to NRHP | July 17, 2012 |
The Kiggins Theatre is a special movie theater in Vancouver, Washington. It has only one screen, which is different from many modern cinemas that have many screens. The theater was named after John P. Kiggins, who was a mayor and businessman in Vancouver. It first opened its doors in 1936 and is located at 1011 Main Street in downtown Vancouver.
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What Does the Kiggins Theatre Look Like?
The Kiggins Theatre was designed in a cool style called Art Deco. This style was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. It uses strong shapes, geometric patterns, and often has a fancy, modern look.
Art Deco Design Features
The architect who designed the Kiggins Theatre was Day Walter Hilborn. He used strong concrete for the walls. You can see special decorative designs, called motifs, on both the outside and inside of the building.
The bright "Kiggins" neon sign on the outside is the original one from when the theater first opened. Some of the lights inside are also original. The large sign above the entrance, called a marquee, was changed in the late 1950s. It's where they usually show what movies are playing. There used to be a big painting, called a mural, inside the theater, but it's not there anymore.
A Look at Kiggins Theatre's History
Building the Kiggins Theatre started on September 20, 1935. It opened its doors for the very first time on April 24, 1936. The first movie shown was She Married Her Boss, starring Claudette Colbert and Melvyn Douglas.
Years as a Movie House
The Kiggins Theatre showed movies all the time from 1936 to 1955. In 1958, the inside and outside of the theater were updated. This is when the current marquee was put up. The Kiggins then reopened as part of the Adamson Theaters chain, which ran it for the next 20 years.
In 1980, a local church bought the theater. It stopped showing regular movies and started showing Christian films instead.
Challenges and Reopenings
In 1981, there was a small electrical fire at the theater. It caused some smoke and water damage. The Kiggins Theatre stayed closed for almost two years while it was being fixed.
After repairs and some more updates, the Kiggins reopened in 1983. It started showing "second run" movies, often as double features (two movies for the price of one). This continued until 1996.
The theater was updated again in early 1997. Some of its original design features were brought back. Also, new, modern equipment for showing movies and sound was installed. The Kiggins reopened under new management in May 1997. It kept operating until May 2010, when it closed again because of money problems.
Modern Era and Historic Status
The Kiggins Theatre was renovated once more and reopened in September 2011 with new management. In 2012, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical building in the United States.
