A real beauty and very unique but in desperate need of restoration and upgrading. The official website is now www.savethecolumbia.org. The original architect is W. Earl Gore of Louisville, KY.
This is/was probably the Dream Theatre since their dates of origin are quite similar and that there isn’t always uniformity in how proper names are recorded. The Dream was a single screen operation which also presented live/Vaudeville and had a seating capacity of 250. The last record I could find of the theatre was in a 1930 edition of the International Musician.
Woohoo! Thanks for the update! I immediately headed out to get a shot of what remains. Will need to change the status from Demolished to Closed although with the way development is around here the threat of the wreaking ball is ever present.
The theatre changed names a couple of times, first as the Aloha and later as the Geertz after it reopened. It was destroyed by fire on October 20, 1930.
Made a visit to Aloha, WA today. One can drive through this town and never know it existed. What did exist was a small lumbering community that was once home to Aloha Mill & Lumber Company, founded by R. D. Emerson and W. H. Dole in 1905. The name, a Hawaiian greeting, was chosen by members of the Dole family, who were landowners and business people in Hawaii. Hit hard with the depression, the theatre and many of the businesses in the area shut down in 1930 never to return again. Of what did exit where mostly building built on the fly almost with the intent of only being there temporary.
The Roycroft was built in 1925 and closed in 1959. Its style is Mediterranean Revival and it is currently the Russian Community Center. Part of the original Roycroft signage is still visible just above the entrance.
The actual address is 422 N Whitcomb Ave and the status should be changed from demolished to closed. The Chief is currently being use as the Tonasket Foursquare Church.
Wish that I could have seen this theatre in its original incarnation. The current rendering is a sterile, bland, 80’s style industrial motif. On the plus side, plenty of leg room.
From Mary Cates, Co-Owner NuVu Showhouse: The NuVu Theater was built in 1952 by Henry Hagman who also constructed the Ione Theater in Ione Washington and the Bridge Theatre in Metaline Falls.
The building currently occupying 223 N Main St, kinda looks like it could have been a theatre. Need to get a crowbar and pull back the awful aluminum siding across the front to see what’s lies behind it.
Thanks for the research Joe! I have been reviewing the city directories and related media at the Washington State Library and am amazed at the number of small rural communities with a population of way less than 1,000 that had two or more theatres.
The Forest opened in 1946 and closed in 202. It seated 340 patrons.
A real beauty and very unique but in desperate need of restoration and upgrading. The official website is now www.savethecolumbia.org. The original architect is W. Earl Gore of Louisville, KY.
This theatre was also known as the Navajo Theatre during the mid twentieth century and had a seating capacity of 380.
There is record of another Union Theatre with existed in the late 1930s with a seating capacity of around 186.
This was part of the Georgia Theatre chain.
This was originally the Maryville theatre from from at least 1940 and going forward with a seating capacity of around 280.
This is/was probably the Dream Theatre since their dates of origin are quite similar and that there isn’t always uniformity in how proper names are recorded. The Dream was a single screen operation which also presented live/Vaudeville and had a seating capacity of 250. The last record I could find of the theatre was in a 1930 edition of the International Musician.
Woohoo! Thanks for the update! I immediately headed out to get a shot of what remains. Will need to change the status from Demolished to Closed although with the way development is around here the threat of the wreaking ball is ever present.
Martin theatres managed a theatre called the Ritz during the 1960s in Bremen. Is it possible this is the same theatre?
Under the Cinerama banner, the theatre had a seating capacity of 1,000 which was greatly reduced during the “twining”.
The theatre changed names a couple of times, first as the Aloha and later as the Geertz after it reopened. It was destroyed by fire on October 20, 1930.
was this also know as the Well’s Strand?
Made a visit to Aloha, WA today. One can drive through this town and never know it existed. What did exist was a small lumbering community that was once home to Aloha Mill & Lumber Company, founded by R. D. Emerson and W. H. Dole in 1905. The name, a Hawaiian greeting, was chosen by members of the Dole family, who were landowners and business people in Hawaii. Hit hard with the depression, the theatre and many of the businesses in the area shut down in 1930 never to return again. Of what did exit where mostly building built on the fly almost with the intent of only being there temporary.
It has been expanded to 5 screens and the new website is https://athensmoviepalace.com/
The Roycroft was built in 1925 and closed in 1959. Its style is Mediterranean Revival and it is currently the Russian Community Center. Part of the original Roycroft signage is still visible just above the entrance.
Was this also at onetime named the Wapeto Theatre?
Day Walter Hilborn was the architect
The actual address is 422 N Whitcomb Ave and the status should be changed from demolished to closed. The Chief is currently being use as the Tonasket Foursquare Church.
There are about three buildings on Clark which look as if they might have initially been a theatre.
Wish that I could have seen this theatre in its original incarnation. The current rendering is a sterile, bland, 80’s style industrial motif. On the plus side, plenty of leg room.
From Mary Cates, Co-Owner NuVu Showhouse:
The NuVu Theater was built in 1952 by Henry Hagman who also constructed the Ione Theater in Ione Washington and the Bridge Theatre in Metaline Falls.
The building currently occupying 223 N Main St, kinda looks like it could have been a theatre. Need to get a crowbar and pull back the awful aluminum siding across the front to see what’s lies behind it.
Was this also known as the Dream Theatre or was that another theatre in the area?
Thanks for the research Joe! I have been reviewing the city directories and related media at the Washington State Library and am amazed at the number of small rural communities with a population of way less than 1,000 that had two or more theatres.
Listed in the 1965 City Directory as Walter’s Selah Theatre at 216 South 1st St.