St. Helens Theatre

508 N. Market Boulevard,
Chehalis, WA 98532

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Additional Info

Architects: Irwin H. Hill, Ernest Thornton Mock

Firms: Hill, Mock & Griffin

Functions: Retail

Styles: Italian Renaissance

Previous Names: Fox St. Helens Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Front of theater

The St. Helens Theatre was opened May 12, 1924 with Reginald Denny in “Sporting Youth”. It was equipped with a Kimball pipe organ which was opened by organist Kenneth Laughlin. It was closed March 12, 1954 with Richard Todd in “Rob Roy” and “El Alamein”.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

Recent comments (view all 14 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on October 4, 2008 at 8:17 pm

Here is a May 1938 ad from the Chehalis Bee-Nugget:
http://tinyurl.com/3w4wnr

ColinH
ColinH on November 3, 2008 at 5:31 pm

This building was originally built as The St. John Garage in the 1910’s. The side walls and roof were kept but the facade was replaced for the theatre It was designed by Hill, Mock & Griffin Architects of Tacoma.

ColinH
ColinH on November 3, 2008 at 5:38 pm

This is how the theater was going to look originally:

View link

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on March 19, 2011 at 10:07 pm

From 1941 a view of Market Blvd along with the St. Helens theatre in Chehalis.

KenLayton
KenLayton on February 15, 2014 at 6:45 pm

I believe the St. Helens Theater closed around 1958 or 1959.

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on March 19, 2017 at 9:16 am

The $100,000 St. Helen’s Theatre opened on May 12, 1924 with “The Sporting Youth”. It had a $15,000 Kimball pipe organ and Kenneth Laughlin as the organist. Irwin H. Hill and Ernest Thornton Mock of Hill & Mock of Tacoma were the architects. March 12, 1954 was the final day of operation for the St. Helen’s. It had fulfilled a 30-year lease and with competition from television, a decision of non-renewal was made and the venue was converted for other retail purposes.

KenLayton
KenLayton on March 19, 2017 at 9:03 pm

All of AaronNi’s photobucket links no longer work.

JackCoursey
JackCoursey on August 30, 2018 at 10:52 am

The actual address for this building is 508 N. Market Boulevard, Chehalis, WA. The current occupant is the Wedding Show. How much, if any, of the original interior exist is unknown.

robboehm
robboehm on May 12, 2021 at 6:56 pm

At the time it was built it was intended as a venue for shows and movies. The stage was 22 feet by 40 feet. As a movie theatre it was billed as the “House of Hits”.

This is now an event site called City Farm Chehalis. When they renovated the building in 2006 they found Italian Style frescos under the walls and the original chandelier.

KenLayton
KenLayton on May 12, 2021 at 9:40 pm

This theater was just down the street from the Chehalis (Pix) Theater and on the same side of the street.

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