Palace Theatre (Silverton, Oregon)

The Palace Theatre is an art deco theatre in Silverton, Oregon, United States. The venue is a contributing property of the NRHP-listed Silverton Commercial Historic District.^[1]

Palace Theatre

The venue's front exterior in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic
Address	200 North Water Street Silverton, Oregon United States
Coordinates	40°0′21.7″N 122°47′0.2″W
Owner	Stu Rasmussen (1974–present)
Palace Theatre
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Part of	Silverton Commercial Historic District (ID87000878)
Designated CP	July 29, 1987[1]

History

Plaque describing the site's history

The current theatre was built in 1936,^[2] replacing the Opera House, which was built during the early 1900s and screened films since 1909 but was destroyed by fire in 1935. Former mayor Stu Rasmussen co-owned the venue beginning 1974.^[3][4]

In 2012, a fire forced the venue to close temporarily and undergo a restoration.^[5][6] The theatre was restored to its original "glory, but with state-of-the-art 21st-century entertainment technology carefully hidden away".^[7]

A replica of the theatre's marquee was part of the set of the 2013 musical about Rasmussen called Stu for Silverton.^[8]

Owners announced plans to close in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[9][10] However, the theater has since re-opened.

Architecture

The theatre faces southwest diagonally on a street corner. It is built of concrete. The facade features a large chevron pattern divided by vertical stripes. A metal-constructed marquee hangs in front of the theatre, supported from the upper facade by wires.^[1]

Reception

In 2018, Justin Much of the Statesman Journal included Palace Theatre in his list of "7 essentials to Silverton's unique appeal".^[11]