Plaza Theatre earns National Register of Historic Places designation
The 1936 Spanish Colonial Revival theater is the only known historic atmospheric theater in the Coachella Valley.
The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation announced Wednesday.
The National Register is the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation and is administered by the National Park Service at the U.S. Department of Interior. The program helps identify, evaluate and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources.
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The Plaza Theatre was first constructed in 1936 and designed by architect Harry J. Williams. The theater recently reopened after an extensive restoration completed in accordance with strict historical guidelines set by the National Park Service.
Both the California Office of Historic Preservation and the National Park Service approved the final restoration.
The theater is an example of a 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival atmospheric theater. It features complex massing, a clay tile hipped roof, painted concrete exterior walls, arched fenestration, steel windows and wood paneled primary doors at the exterior.
The interior includes a double-height auditorium with coved ceiling, Spanish-themed sidewalls, a raised stage and sloped seating, and a main entry foyer. The approximately 15,110-square-foot concrete building has undergone few alterations since its original construction and retains all aspects of historic integrity.
The theater is closely associated with the early 20th century commercial development of Palm Springs. It is the only known historic atmospheric theater, with its facades and starry skies, in the Coachella Valley.
The venue hosted star-studded charity events and benefit shows, live theater and variety shows, and live audience radio show recordings. Celebrities such as Jack Benny, Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra performed at the Plaza Theatre.
The National Register listing was part of the process to secure Federal Historic Tax Credits by the City of Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation to help offset the city’s restoration costs. The Federal Historic Tax Credits will net approximately $2.8 million in tax credit funds.
“The Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs recently underwent a significant restoration process,” said Judith Blanchard, the Foundation board member who helped secure the Historic Tax Credits. “Historically preserving, restoring and updating this nearly 100-year-old building was a complicated and expensive project, and we are thrilled that our hard work has been recognized with this designation to be listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places.”
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