Princess Theatre marquee - Decatur, AL - Neon Signs on Waymarking.com

The Princess Theatre has been a north Alabama landmark for more than a century. 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 burgundy and gray walls with 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 on August 7, 1941 as a classic art deco theatre 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 renovation, the Princess once again reopened and this time as the city's performing arts center.

The Princess completed the first phase of a new Master Plan during 2000-2001. At a cost of $6 million, the renovation and expansion project restored the beautiful facade and marquee, rebuilt a new stage house, upgraded the infrastructure and equipment and expanded into an adjacent building with a new lobby and dressing rooms. A group of volunteers continued work on the new lobby during the summer of 2003. In April 2009 the Sexton Lobby in the Baker Annex was renovated to include a suite of men’s and women’s restrooms, a catering pantry and new finishes to the lobby. Future phases will include more dressing rooms, administrative offices and restoration of the historic lobby and auditorium. The Theatre now operates a larger and more technically equipped facility for the community while preserving one of the city's most historic landmarks.

Name of business: Princess Theatre Center for Performing Arts Type of business: Cinema/Theater Condition of Neon Sign: Hitsville - In good working order Physical Location: 112 2nd Avenue NE Decatur, AL USA 35601 Web Address: [Web Link]

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