The Capitol Theatre, at least this one, opened in 1927. The first Capitol Theatre, also on Victoria Street, opened in 1924. This Art Deco building was designed by architects Townley and Matheson of Vancouver, a pretty avant-garde building when built.
Description
The Capitol Theatre is a flat-roofed horizontal theatre building located on Victoria Street in Nelson, B.C.
Value
The Capitol Theatre is important for its aesthetic and historical values, but particularly for social value through the continuation of its use as a theatre into the present day.
As a hub of western transportation, and therefore the cultural life of the region at the turn of the century, Nelson had a theatre as early as 1898. This theatre, known as the Opera House and located on the corner of Ward and Victoria Streets, burned down in the 1930s. A second theatre, the Capitol Theatre, had its beginnings in 1924 in the Central Garage on Victoria Street, opening in its present location in 1927; the theatre was once accessed from Ward Street. Designed by Vancouver architects Townley and Matheson, the building was designed in Art Deco style, a new and contemporary style at that time, reflecting Nelson as a centre of culture and stature.
Although serving principally as a movie house with live dramatic performances of traveling companies, the theatre was an important contribution to the local arts community through its presentations by local groups including Nelson Little Theatre and the Rossland Light Opera Players. The theatre declined as a result of wartime, the advent of television, the drive-in theatre and the construction of the Civic
Centre Theatre which was used as a movie house.
The theatre is important as a symbol of Nelson’s re-emergence as an important arts centre in the region and the province. The building was acquired by the City of Nelson in 1983 with funds raised locally and through Federal and Provincial job-funding programs. The grants were largely for labour, and community groups contributed materials. The theatre is important for its community vision seen in its grand re-opening in 1988, a testament to the city for its dedication to the arts community and to the volunteers with the Capitol Theatre Restoration Society.