Weir Theatre
204 E. Heron Street,
Aberdeen,
WA
98520
204 E. Heron Street,
Aberdeen,
WA
98520
1 person
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The Weir Theatre originally opened in the early-1900’s. It had a Wurlitzer installed in 1920. In 2002, a gift shop occupied the theater’s space, but not for long, as it was demolished in mid-2003 after being condemned by the city.
Contributed by
Katie Mac
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Recent comments (view all 17 comments)
The Weir Theatre was part of the Fox West Coast Theatres chain’s subsidiaries Evergreen State Amusement Corp. along with the D & R Theatre.
Hmm…. my 1953 theater guide shows the D&R and the Seventh Street theaters being operated by Evergreen, but not the Weir.
The weir was closed by 1953 so it wouldn’t be in the guide for that year. This theater was originaly owned and opperated by D&R Theatre’s Inc. when they were still under the family control of Ed Dolan. I believe that all D&R Theatre’s were affiliated with Fox both for the films they booked and later after the company was sold and managed by Fox west Coast ie; Evergreen State. The Weir was permanantly closed by the Dolan family mainly because it was the oldest theater in their chain (1916 I think) and it needed major work. It was very old fashioned even for the 1940’s. By the time it was decided to close the theatre the thought was to drive the business to the over the the newly remodeled D&R theatre only half a block away. The Weir had very old electrical systems and equipment that all needed to be replaced. And the building was brick but the interior was built of wood and a fire trap. The D&R had just recieved a major remodel that made the theatre esentially brand new so their was no ecconomic sence to keep the Weir open.
There are a few photo’s of this theater at www.jonesphotocollection.com be shur to search using different spellings for “theater” and “theatre” as they may not all pull up at once.
Here is a 1916 ad for the Rex Theater.
The photo’s for the Weir & Rex listed on the PSTOS site clearly show 2 different buildings. I was in the Weir and it was definatly the brick building with the crown on the roof line. It was next to the Masonic building (Later Browers dress shop). The Rex was next to the Weir more at mid block. At least that is what the photo’s show.
Opened in 1906 and closed in 1945. Address given at the time was 204 East Heron Street.
There is a parking lot now where the Weir Theater used to stand.
The Weir Cafe (located 3 doors down, west from Mac’s Cigar Store) operated in Aberdeen, back in the mid 80s. I must have drove the McCann family, who owned the cafe nuts playing it the same song over and over. They were very kind to me and allowed me to see the old Weir theater that had been closed off in the back. The McCann’s and the Hick’s boys owned the majority of the block and let me explore and learn much of the history of the buildings first hand. All the buildings are long gone except for Mac’s Cigar Store. As far as Mac’s goes, most of the people I spent the 80s with are long gone also. RIP: Mike Hicks, Gil Flinn, Rick Collins, Hank Woon, Richard Townsend, Gene the Machine and all the old time Pan players. Each and everyone thought to be such hardcore gamblers and roughnecks were very kind and sensitive to me. It was an angel mural on each side on the coved ceiling still intact although the rest of the ceiling was peeling off. Most of the seating was pulled from the floor and scattered about. It was dangerous and I was so grateful to have seen it before it was gone.
There are a number of photos of the Weir Theatre on the Jones Photo website mentioned above. Looking at the photos, the Weir and the Rex were two separate theaters and even existed at the same time. The current Google view shows the Weir demolished and the building next door (with the arched upper windows) still existing. The buildings to the right of this, have been demolished. This would have included the building housing the Rex.