State Theatre
913 Washington Avenue,
Bay City,
MI
48708
913 Washington Avenue,
Bay City,
MI
48708
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State Theatre, Bay City (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: W.S. Butterfield Theaters Inc.
Architects: Charles Howard Crane
Functions: Live Performances, Movies, Special Events
Styles: Art Deco, Mayan Revival
Previous Names: Bijou Theatre, Orpheum Theatre, Bay Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
989.892.2660
Manager:
517.892.2682
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Jun 18, 2010 — "Jaws"... Happy 35th!
- May 14, 2010 — Please Post Today, May 14 --- "Jaws," Happy 35th
- Sep 16, 2008 — State Theatre unveils new marquee
- Feb 8, 2007 — Brokeback Mountain screening at State Theatre
- Oct 13, 2006 — State Theatre wins State Historical Society Top Award for Preservation
The Bijou Theatre was opened on September 7, 1908, this former vaudeville palace was remodeled in 1916 and was operated by the W.S. Butterfield Theaters chain who added movies to its programming. On August 29, 1920 it was renamed Orpheum Theatre renamed the Orpheum Theatre.
In 1930, architect C. Howard Crane was hired to gut and rebuild the interior of the theatre which he did in an Art Deco/Mayan aesthetic. The theatre was renamed again as the Bay Theatre and it had 710 seats. On October 18, 1957, the Bay Theatre was renamed again as the State Theatre and received a new marquee.
The theatre was later saved by the Friends of the State and is currently owned by the Bay City Downtown Development Authority.
The theatre’s new owners embarked on a massive renovation, with over $2 million in funds raised for the project, it was completed by early-2006.
Contributed by
Nick Suchyta, Dennis Atkinson
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Recent comments (view all 33 comments)
Theatre Historical Society will be visiting this theater during our 2011 Conclave – “The Michigan Roads Less Traveled” June 21-25. See the website for details www.historictheatres.org
Built in 1908 during the booming lumbering era in Michigan, the STATE Theatre was known as the BIJOU and was redone in 1930 by C. Howard Crane, who used local labor using hand-crafted plaster casts for the 9,500 square-foot theatre. As years passed and owners changed, the Mayan murals were painted over and water damage became evident. The Dow Chemical Company Foundation provided financial support for the restoration project.
1908 post card as Bijou Theatre added courtesy Walter Jung. It shows how drastic the exterior remodeling was compared to the photos of it as State Theatre.
The June 24, 1916 issue of Moving Picture World said that W. S. Butterfield had recently been in Bay City making arrangements for the remodeling and redecoration of the Bijou Theatre. Plans included a new ventilation and cooling system and two new Simplex projection machines.
The Bijou was originally built for owner-operator J. D. Pilmore, with a notice that construction contracts had been let appearing in the July, 1908 issue of The Bricklayer and Mason. Pilmore had operated an earlier Bay City house also called the Bijou, at least as early as 1905. The earlier Bijou was listed in the 1907 edition of Polk’s Michigan Gazetteer as being at the northwest corner of Center and Madison.
A photo of the marquee can be found here https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgaken/52901550729/in/feed-37557200-1684203949-1-72157721670310168
John Kominsky was killed instantly while walking a plank at the site on June 20th, 1908. Article posted. More to come for this theatre and Bay City.
Opened September 7th, 1908. Ad posted.
reopened as Orpheum on August 29th, 1920. Grand opening ad posted.
Reopened as Bay on October 22nd, 1930 by Butterfield theatres. Grand opening ad posted. More to come for this theatre.
Reopened October 18th as State. Anothre ad posted.