Plaza Theatre - Garland Downtown Historic District - Garland, TX - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

The Garland Downtown Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 2017, with an update issued on July 24, 2017, to include the historic Alston House. At present, the best ways to obtain a copy of the Registration Form are either through the National Register or the Texas Historical Commission. In the latter case, follow the "Optional link" below, where the Registration Form will ultimately be located, and report an error to request a copy. The pages that apply to the theatre are available in the gallery.

The Registration Form notes that the theatre was built in 1941, with the last major alteration being carried out in 1950, and describes it thus:

Moderne style, one-part commercial block building is known as the Plaza Theatre. The façade incorporates a variety of forms and materials. It has an artful asymmetrical arrangement of square metal panels, glass block, corrugated metal siding, and a distinctly mid-century modern style vertical sign element at the corner that appears to hold up the marquee. At night the theater’s appearance is accented by colorful neon on the sign and marquee. This building was restored in 2001.

[...]

One of the first transformations during this period [the early 1950s] was by the well-known theater designer Jack Corgan on the Plaza Theatre. The theater had been designed only 9 years earlier by Harold Manzer but underwent a complete transformation. Corgan replaced the original façade and Manzer’s trademark round window with a Moderne façade of stucco, glass block and metal, including a neon marquee tower.

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There is a National Register medallion on the west side of the building, and an accompanying sign that looks like (but isn't!) a Texas Historical Marker:

521 W. State Street was originally the site of various dry goods stores including Joe J. Mickle and Son, Hudson Davis and later Cole & Davis. The Plaza Theatre opened at this location on April 4, 1941, with the movie "Western Union." The Plaza was one of three theatre buildings in downtown, all of which were owned and operated by H.R. and Jennie Bisby. Upon completion, the squares Plaza Theatre became the most modern building in downtown Garland.

In 1950, Dallas architect Jack Corgan designed a new and updated façade. In the 1970s and 80s, local country-western groups replaced film showings in the performance hall. John Skelton, trustee of the Bisby Estate, donated the Plaza Theatre to the City of Garland in December 1991.

In 2001, the Art-Deco Plaza Theatre was refurbished by the City of Garland, who currently owns and operates the facility as a performance venue.

Garland Downtown National Register Historic District

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Garland Downtown Historic District Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] Address: 521 W State St, Garland, TX 75040 How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Other (Please explain in the Private Message field) Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link] NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): Not listed

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