Salem's Historic Grand Theatre Explained

Chemeketa Lodge No. 1, Odd Fellows Buildings
Nrhp Type:cp
Nocat:yes
Partof:Salem Downtown State Street – Commercial Street Historic District
Partof Refnum:01001067
Location:185–195 High Street, NE
Salem, Oregon
Coordinates:44.9406°N -123.0372°W
Built:1900
Architect:Walter D. Pugh, Morris Homans Whitehouse
Architecture:Romanesque Revival
Added:April 8, 1988
Refnum:88000275

The Grand Theatre is part of a complex of historic buildings in Salem, Oregon, United States that was originally owned by the fraternal organization Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as the Chemeketa Lodge No. 1, Odd Fellows Buildings. The theater building is also known as the I.O.O.F. Temple.

The Grand Theatre was built as a lodge hall and opera house by the Oddfellows in 1900, and was designed by the architectural firm of Pugh & Gray.[1] The Julius Grau Opera Company performed at the grand opening on November 29, 1900.[2] An annex containing a hotel and bus terminal and designed by architect Morris Whitehouse was built in 1921. The two former I.O.O.F. buildings were added to the NRHP in 1988.[3] The buildings currently hold retail businesses, offices, and a ballroom with other facilities that are rented for special events and even lends itself as a film and music venue. Enlightened Theatrics also performs several Broadway style live performances each year at the Grand Theatre. The Grand Theatre has main floor and balcony seating. The Film Daily Yearbook of 1947 listed the Grand Theatre having 744 seats. Over the years, the seating capacity has been reduced to 380 seats. There are 13 rows on the main floor with 268 seats and 5 rows in the balcony with 112 seats.

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Notes and References

  1. News: Cowan . Ron . Downtown theater ushers in a new era . . https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/202752535/ . January 1, 2010 . subscription . www.newspapers.com . March 25, 2018.
  2. News: Grand Opera House Grand Opening . The Daily Journal . November 27, 1900 . vol.X no.29 p.4 . Newspaper . www.oregonnews.uoregon.edu Oregon Historic Newspaper Database, University of Oregon . March 25, 2018.
  3. Web site: Oregon National Register List . July 16, 2007 . . 2007-11-16.