Princess Theatre - Decatur, AL
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Dulcimoore
N 34° 36.273 W 086° 59.100
16S E 501375 N 3829190
The Princess Theatre is a fine example of the Streamline Moderne style of art deco.
Waymark Code: WMBYJT
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2011
Views: 5
Beginning as a livery stable in 1887, it was transformed into a silent film and vaudeville playhouse in 1919. After a facelift in 1941, the Princess emerged with the art deco style that remains today and features a brilliantly lit neon marquee.
Local architect Albert Frahn decorated the auditorium with burgundy and gray walls and murals that glow in a black lighting system. The glow of fluorescent carpeting guided theatergoers down the aisle. The lobby featured a terrazzo floor with a map of Alabama, marking the Tennessee River and Decatur, imported veneer walls and art deco stair rails. The classic art deco facade displayed a geometric design, glass bricks, yellow and black vitrolite glass and a two story marquee with more than 3,000 feet of neon tubing. The Princess reopened as a classic art deco theatre on August 7, 1941 with the film "Tom, Dick and Harry" starring Ginger Rogers.
In 1978 the City of Decatur purchased the Princess Theatre when it closed as a movie house. After a $750,000.00 renovation, the Princess once again reopened and this time as the city's performing arts center. The 677-seat Theatre began serving as a stage home for local performing arts groups, providing a multipurpose rental facility for the community, serving as an arts education resource for schools and annually presenting a variety of touring artists in music, theatre and dance.
The building was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1981, and is a contributing structure of the NRHP Historic District of Albany Neighborhood, Decatur, AL.
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