Our San Clemente Miramar Theatre is first up. You can read the comments. Also on this site are the photos and stories of theatre demolitions going on nation-wide and the sprints by activists to save these theatres. If you NEED to see the future rubble the MIRAMAR will become...this site will fill that need for some.
Happily, however, you will have to wade through the multitude of success stories and photos of theatres preserved.
Founded in 1976, the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) is an international not-for-profit membership association. LHAT is a network of people who appreciate the cultural and architectural heritage of historic theatres and who work locally and nationally to rehabilitate them to serve communities throughout North America and abroad. Members of the League collaborate with one another, share their expertise and provide inspiration, information and a broad perspective to those working in the field of historic preservation.
Members of the League include theatre operators and managers, preservation activists, architects, structural engineers, design and acoustical consultants, urban planners, restorationists (painters, plasterers, metalworkers), vendors (seats, marquees, stage equipment), booking and artist management firms, fund raising consultants, and many other types of service providers and members of the general public who serve or are interested in historic theatres.
The California Preservation Foundation, founded in 1976, is California's only statewide non-profit historic preservation education, advocacy and membership organization.
It is the mission of the California Preservation Foundation to ensure that California's rich and diverse historic resources are identified, protected and celebrated for their history and their valuable role in California's economy, environment and quality of life.
The mission of CinemaTour is to thoroughly research and document the locations and histories of cinemas throughout the world. This information will be shared via the internet as an educational resource for anyone interested in what makes going to the movies special.
Hot Topics: Theater Preservation: To Restore or Not To Restore
It is under heated debate in many communities all over the country: Should we tear down this old (and possibly decrepit) theater to build new retail space, hotel property, condominiums, etc. - or do we restore and protect what could be a historic landmark? We took a sneak preview of the web and came across some Oscar-quality web sites that can help - and have helped - efforts to preserve historic theaters. Spotlight Shines on Examples of Successful Restoration Efforts In the following cases we came across in our research, it was a group of concerned citizens that organized efforts to save and refurbish theaters that had been neglected and/or slated for demolition.
EverGreene is different from the ordinary plaster shop. Our experienced craftsmen integrate state-of-the-art conservation techniques with traditional craftsmanship in the restoration of surviving historic plasterwork. We can also replicate any kind of ornamental plaster. Our sculptors can recreate missing elements from physical and archival evidence or create new ornament. EverGreene is one of the only plaster restoration companies that travels to jobsites nationwide, providing high-quality project planning, restoration and installation services to communities without this expertise in their area.
Nearly every interior restoration project involves repair of plaster surfaces that are loose, delaminating, cracked, water-damaged, or missing elements. EverGreene’s integrated services in plasterwork and decorative painting save our clients time and money in their schedules, coordination and budgets.
The Midnight Palace is an echo in time, a manifestation of yesterday that has resurfaced like a spectre with unfinished business. This is a grand theater that holds within its walls an era of unforgettable proportions. From the great silent films of German Expressionism to the final examples of Film Noir, The Midnight Palace stands as a testament to these landmarks of classic excellence.
Closed for years and near demolition by neglect, San Jose's historic California Theatre reopened in September 2004. Its restoration designed both for live stage performances and for motion pictures, it is the new home of Opera San Jose and Symphony Silicon Valley.
"The renovated California offers a luxurious taste of old-fashioned design ... it's a dark, warmly upholstered palace in the old style, full of patterned carpeting and plaster ornamentation. To walk into [its historic entrance lobby] is to be plunged into a bygone world of plush opulence." Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle - September 21, 2004
The Theatre Historical Society of America was founded in 1969 by the late writer and theatre historian Ben M. Hall, author of the first book on movie palaces, The Best Remaining Seats. After Hall's death in 1970, Brother Andrew C. Fowler, Frank Cronican, Terry Helgesen and others were instrumental in shaping THSA and helping it become the foremost organization of its kind in the country. From just a handful of interested enthusiasts, it has grown into a national organization with an international membership of 1,000 individuals, university and public libraries, theatres, performing arts organizations and other interested firms and groups. The Theatre Historical Society of America is an IRS-approved 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization.
THSA is the only organization in the U.S. which exclusively records and preserves the rich architectural, cultural and social history of America's theatres. Through its archive and publications, THSA makes available information on more than 15,000 theatres, primarily in the United States, and encourages further research in these areas.
A very useful and informative insight into the history of San Clemente and what lies ahead. Heavy in praise for unique local history. Interesting in that there is no consideration for what to do with the historic theatre. Pretty ho hum for a designated historic community.
INCLUDING:
1.1 History & Background; 1.2 Purpose; 1.3 Key Master Plan Parameters; 1.4 Methodology; 1.5 Master Plan Scoping Meetings; 1.6 Study Limitations; 1.7 Assumptions
Miramar Theater - 1598 S. El Camino Real. Built in 1937, the Miramar Theater was once the most elaborate theater development on the entire south coast. One of the finest on-line walking and driving tours of San Clemente that I have found (except for the printed one put out by the Historical Society). LOTS OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION INCLUDED HERE.
Scott Nelligan, 56, a film distributor and real estate developer from Costa Mesa, has been working with the owner of the Lab, a shopping complex there, on a renovation of the Miramar that would include retail space, a theater and a boutique hotel. He said he hoped to buy as a second home one of the 160 or so Spanish-style cottages sprinkled around the center of San Clemente. These were built in the late 1920s by San Clemente’s founder, Ole Hanson, who dreamed of building a Spanish village by the sea.
The primary objective of the ASTC is to inform owners, users, and planners about the services that theatre consultants offer and about the value of those services to the achievement of effective and economically viable performance and assembly facilities, whether large or small, whether new construction or remodeling/renovation project.
The Members of the ASTC are professional theatre consultants who have demonstrated a broad range of capability and experience necessary to qualify for membership. As professionals, ASTC members have individual and collective interests in providing unbiased, functionally sound and practical consulting and design services to owners, users, architects, and engineers or performance and assembly facilities. These interests are reflected in the objectives and programs of the Society.
Just one example of many such organizations standing ready to help. Of course they'll want to be paid. But hey.
They are dedicated to the sustainable development of the arts in North America. Check out what they are doing on a current project. They make it look easy.
... over the subsequent decades many theaters were lost - either through neglect or demolition. However, beginning in the late 1960s, interest in restoring and preserving historic theaters began to grow. In 1970 Gene Chesley, scenic designer, theatre historian, and teacher, created the National List of Historic Theatre Buildings. This list attempted to document historic theaters still standing. These efforts led, in 1976, to the formation of The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT), an organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and use of historic American theatres. Today, historic theaters continue to be restored, often as performing arts centers, serving to revitalize communities and neighborhoods across the country.
The National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers is the professional association of the State government officials who carry out the national historic preservation program as delegates of the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.
2006-2007 Marks the 40th Anniversary of the
National Historic Preservation Act
The National Historic Preservation Act, and its resulting cultural, educational, and economic benefits over the past 40 years, have
been vital to fostering a preservation ethic across the nation so
2006 will be decicated to celebrating and building awareness
and support for the NHPA and the value of preservation.
The Historic Theatre Financing Fund was formed in 2004 by the League of Historic American Theatres and NTCIC. Its purpose is to facilitate the rehabilitation of historic theatres by providing League members greater access to federal tax credit equity and technical assistance. Specifically, League and NTCIC staff help member theatres navigate the requirements of the federal and state rehabilitation tax credit and the federal New Markets Tax Credit programs. As many theatres do not have sufficient or existing tax liability to keep the credit for themselves, assistance is also provided in marketing their project to potential tax credit investors.
The National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC) makes equity investments in real estate projects that qualify for federal historic rehabilitation and state historic rehabilitation tax credits in all 50 states. NTCIC works with a wide variety of property owners including for-profit developers, nonprofit organizations and local governments. Its focus is on projects that have a high economic impact on the surrounding community.
