214 Main Street - Point Arena Historic Commercial District - Point Arena, CA
Posted by: 
saopaulo1
N 38° 54.558 W 123° 41.552
10S E 439954 N 4306939
The Arena Theater in Point Arena, CA.
Waymark Code: WMTT6W
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 01/05/2017
Views: 0
"The Arena Theater (1928) is a three—bay two story stucco building with upper floor projecting over the ground floor and supported on four piers. The three windows on the second story are fixed 4/1 set in arched openings. A row of sixteen small round light fixtures, most with lights missing, stretches above the three windows. At the ground level are display windows and a ticket booth. A small marquee is not original. The theater has served as the town's entertainment center for over sixty years. Built after the fire of 1927, the building replaced a series of halls and opera houses that had provided sites for theatrical performances of various kinds in the previous decades. Point Arena's had long been fond of going to shows (with both imported and home—grown talent), so it was not surprising that they joined the rest of the country during the 1920s in its fascination with the movies. The building gave Point Arena's a small and restrained example of a movie palace, more elaborate examples of which were appearing across the state during the decade. Compared with other structures in the commercial district, however, the theater was large and well designed. It provided one of the few downtown buildings constructed in an established style and was (not surprisingly) the only one in the Second Renaissance Revival. Still used for both film and live entertainment, the theater is a strong contributor to the historic district. The present marquee, which replaced a larger version that extended over the sidewalk, is the only major alteration." (
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