Martini Theater - Galveston, TX
Posted by: 
jhuoni
N 29° 18.250 W 094° 47.458
15R E 326058 N 3243016
Owned by the Martini Family, the Martini closed in 1975. In 2013 it was put on the "Heritage at Risk List" by the Galveston Historical Foundation. It remains abandoned and the interior has been damaged by several hurricanes.
Waymark Code: WM10735
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/11/2019
Views: 1
From the Atlas: Texas Historical Commission Neighborhood Survey: (
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Martini Theatre
Address: 524 Twenty-First Street
Style/Type: Art Moderne
Original Use: Theatre
Present Use: Vacant
Description: Stuccoed masonry theater building; L-shaped with shaped roof line; marquee on southwest corner has recessed tiled entrance with box office; surface decoration on marquee section repeats outline of roof; theater section to rear; front connects to other commercial buildings.
Present Condition: Deteriorating due to lack of use. (edited)
Significance: The Martini was one of several downtown theaters but considered the most up-to-date in the 1940s. Attillio Martini located the first Martini Theatre in the Grand Opera House in 1924. When building at 524 Twenty-First Street was completed, the Martini name moved to the new location. The Martini was remodeled in 1969.
2013 Heritage At Risk List - Galveston History
(
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1937 MARTINI THEATRE (2013 List)
524 21st Street, Galveston Texas
The Martini Theatre was built in 1937 for Attilio Martini. At one time, the Martini family owned eight theaters on the island. As television caught on, the popularity of theaters diminished on the island and elsewhere. The 990-seat Martini Theatre, designed in art deco style, closed in 1975. Originally used for both vaudeville and motion pictures, the building is one of Galveston’s few examples of Art Deco architecture. Vacancy and lack of maintenance are taking their toll on the exterior of the structure. The original tall neon marquee was lost many years ago and recent storms have damaged the remaining elements. The bustling Postoffice Arts and Entertainment District could benefit from the rehabilitation of this important building, an example of the numerous theaters once located in downtown Galveston.
Cinema Treasures (
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The Martini Theater occupies a corner in downtown Galveston. It was opened May 27, 1937 and closed December 9, 1979. The building appears to be sound, but a once showy marquee is trashed. “MARTINI” is spelled out in large individual orange letters across the top of the marquee. The name and signage do not fit the feel of the theater as if it has undergone a name change at some point.