Jefferson Theatre
345 Fannin Street,
Beaumont,
TX
77701
345 Fannin Street,
Beaumont,
TX
77701
4 people
favorited this theater
Opened in 1927 for the Saenger chain, the Jefferson Theatre (named for Beaumont’s position as Jefferson’s county seat), the theater was designed by the circuit’s house architect, the prodigious Emile Weil, who also designed such noted Saenger palaces as the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, the Saenger Theatre in Pensacola, Florida, and the Strand Theatre in Shreveport, the Saenger’s hometown.
The Jefferson Theatre was one of the few Weil designs where he did not incorporate the letter "S" for the circuit into the exterior and interior design, though the theater was no less ornate than the rest of the Saenger’s mid-sized houses of the 1920’s.
The Jefferson Theatre contained a 3 manual, 8 rank Robert Morton organ (which has since been lovingly restored to its original condition).
After decades as the city’s premier movie house, the Jefferson Theatre declined in popularity, and was eventually shuttered. However, beginning in the early-1990’s, a campaign to restore the theater was kicked off, and has been underway ever since.
Restoration was completed in 2005, and the Jefferson Theatre is currently home to both community theater and other live stage performances.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 21 comments)
This was the theater where KTRM Radio DJ Jape “The Big Bopper” Richardson set the record for on-air DJing: 122 hours and 8 minutes, playing a total of 1,821 records! That was in May 1957; the following year, he struck gold with a little ditty he wrote and recorded called “Chantilly Lace”.
A 2008 photo can be seen here.
1980 Photo
This is a 2009 photo.
Here is another 2009 photo.
This site has a photo of the Jefferson Theater.
The Jefferson Theatre has a new website: www.beaumont-tx-complex.com/jeffersontheatre.html Apparently the Jefferson is now part of the Beaumont Civic Center Complex, which consists of several buildings.
Pictures of the interior… View link
Excellent photos of the grand re-opening in 2003. http://www.savetheorgan.org/jefferson/index.htm
Featured in this 1929 trade ad for Carrier cooling systems: archive