Ventura Theatre

34°16′49″N 119°17′29″W / 34.28028°N 119.29139°W / 34.28028; -119.29139

Ventura Theatre
Majestic Ventura Theatre[1]
Front view of theatre (c.2008)
Map
Address26 S Chestnut St
Ventura, CA 93001-2800
LocationGreater Los Angeles
Capacity1,150
Construction
OpenedAugust 1928 (1928-08)
ArchitectLewis Arthur Smith
Website
Venue Website
Ventura Theatre
Area0.7 acres (0.28 ha)
Architectural styleSpanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.86003523[2]
Added to NRHPDecember 29, 1986

The Ventura Theatre is a historic live concert venue in downtown Ventura, California. This was "the only luxury theatre built in Ventura County in the 1920s in the "style of the great movie palaces." The lavish, elegant interior of gilt and opulence was originally designed by Robert E. Power Studios of San Francisco and has been restored.[3] The theatre with a capacity of 1,150 and a flanking office building were designed by architect L. A. Smith in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture that was favored by architects of motion picture theaters during the 1920s.[4][5]

In 1928, Ventura was a bustling oil boom town when the grand opening featured an organ solo, the latest news, Our Gang comedies, a vaudeville act and the movie Excess Baggage.[3][6] During the period between 1923 and 1929, many other buildings were constructed: the Hobson Brothers Meat Packing Company (1923),[7] the First National Bank of Ventura (1926) (commonly called the Erle Stanley Gardner),[8] the Ventura Hotel (1926), the Elks Lodge - B. P. 0. E. #1430 (1928),[9] the Mission Theater (1928), the Hotel Washington (1928), the Swift & Company Building (1928), and the Masonic Temple (1929). Contemporary downtown Ventura is defined by the theatre and the other extant buildings from this period.[10]

Declared a landmark by the City of Ventura In 1976,[4] the theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. The office building was modernized in 1958 and was not included in the historic designation.[3] The theater currently has an active concert schedule.[11]

  1. ^ Palladino, D.J. (April 18, 2014)"Review: Chvrches at the Majestic Ventura Theater" Santa Barbara Independent
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Judy Triem (March 17, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Ventura Theatre". National Park Service. and accompanying 12 photos
  4. ^ a b City of Ventura. Historic Landmark #24 accessed from link on City Map with Historic Landmarks Archived 2012-08-19 at the Wayback Machine (searchable GIS)
  5. ^ "Architects: Smith, Lewis" Pacific Coast Architecture Database Retrieved 13 January 2015
  6. ^ Hamilton, Denise (June 09, 1988) "A New Life Awaits Ventura Theater : Restaurateur Has Big Plans to Book Jazz, Country, Salsa Acts at Ornate Ex-Movie House" Los Angeles Times
  7. ^ City of Ventura. Historic Landmark #23 Archived 2016-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ City of Ventura. Historic Landmark #37 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ City of Ventura. Historic Landmark #99 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ City of Ventura "The Swift & Company Building" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Historic Landmark Designation Application
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Big Bad Voodoo Daddy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).