Weir Theatre
204 E. Heron Street,
Aberdeen,
WA
98520
204 E. Heron Street,
Aberdeen,
WA
98520
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Evergreen State Amusement Corp.
Architects: George B. Purvis
Nearby Theaters
The Weir Theatre originally opened March 3, 1913. It had a Wurlitzer 2 manual 7 ranks organ installed in 1920. In 1937 it was operated by the Evergreen State Amusement Corp. In 2002, a gift shop occupied the theatre’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 18 comments)
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.
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.
The March 4, 1913, issue of the Aberdeen Herald reported that the new Weir Theatre had opened the previous night. The program featured several vaudeville acts and two moving pictures.
Weir was the maiden name of the wife of the theater’s owner and operator, Edward Dolan.
The December 10, 1915, issue of the Aberdeen Herald had this brief item: “Chandler & Ripley, of the Western Circuit Amusement Company, have mortgaged their interests in the Bijou, Rex, and Starland Theaters, to the Aberdeen State Bank for $1,000.” There was an ad for the Weir Theatre on the same page, so both it and the Rex were operating at the same time.
I’ve found no advertising for the Rex in the Herald, nor for the Starland, nor any other mentions of either house. However, there are a few ads for the a movie house called the Dream Theatre, located on Heron Street, from May, 1911, to November, 1915.
The April 1, 1937 issue of Film Daily said that the Evergreen States circuit had acquired the Weir and D & R theaters in Aberdeen and the Seventh Avenue Theatre in Hoquiam.