Historic Theater Needs New Doors

posted by TrudyL on December 22, 2005 at 5:24 am

OLYMPIA, WA — As a followup to yesterday’s story… The State Theater, built in 1949, is currently undergoing an Enhancement Campaign to restore some much needed areas of the building.

One area desperately in need of help is the beautiful front doors. Several of them no longer lock properly and are unable to be repaired.

Any help in finding a company that make old style ‘brass & glass’ movie theater doors would be much appreciated.

Theaters in this post

Comments (4)

KenLayton
KenLayton on December 23, 2005 at 5:07 am

When I worked at the State, we used Always Safe & Lock (just down the street from you) to repair the door locks and Davis Door Service (from Tacoma) to repair the doors (closers, pivots, and how they hang).

Those original commercial solid 1" thick glass doors are very common in movie theaters of that time period. In fact the Avalon Theater (the next block down from you) used the very same doors.

In 1986 I replaced the plastic rods in the door handles on all the front doors at the State. However, I did not replace the plastic door handle rods on the rental (which was the pottery store) space.

Those doors at the State were originally purchased and installed by the B.F. Shearer Company in Seattle in 1949. They can still be repaired.

grammii
grammii on May 28, 2006 at 3:46 am

i know this is an old post, but I have several old theater doors with small windows (all glass intact) with the old hardware. Surfaces need to be refurbished due to crackling. I have no specific info, don’t know what they may be worth, or who made them, only that they are taking up too much space in my garage. any comments or interest appreciated. Grammii

williamsenkyr
williamsenkyr on August 19, 2006 at 12:40 am

Grammii,

I might be interested in four of your doors. Can you email me with details? I am refurbishing the Parkway Theater in South Minneapolis.
Hope to hear from you.

Joe Senkyr Minjares

Lou
Lou on November 22, 2006 at 7:08 am

Gammii, I am building a home theater in my home and need an entrance door. Do you have any theater doors left in good condition.

Lou

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