Enean Theatre
325 E. 10th Street,
Pittsburg,
CA
94565
325 E. 10th Street,
Pittsburg,
CA
94565
1 person
favorited this theater
The Enean Theatre was opened in 1936. It was badly damaged by fire on November 22, 1940. Repairs were carried out and it was reopened. It was still open in 1957. Once a beautiful attraction in what was once the center of Contra Costa’s fishing and steel industry, now sits a former movie house that was up until recently a foreign auto repair shop. Let’s hope the citizen’s of Pittsburg/Antioch will support another renovation/restoration of a once grand theatre! It was badly damaged in a 4-alarm fire in early-August 2023.
Contributed by
Ralph Soliz
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Recent comments (view all 18 comments)
Plans for the Enean Theatre, by architect F. Frederic Amandes, were announced in the March, 1936, issue of Architect & Engineer magazine.
That same year, Amandes was the architect for remodelings of the Strand Theatre in Alameda, the Egyptian Theatre on San Francisco’s Market Street (listed at CT as the Guild Theatre), and the former T&D Theatre in Richmond, which became the Fox Theatre and then the United Artists Theatre.
It looks like Pittsburg wants to allocate 15 million of its stimulus money to renovate the Enean:
http://tinyurl.com/bbhrb5
This is from the Modesto Bee, 11/23/40:
PITTSBURG, Nov. 23-Fire of undetermined origin swept through the new Enean Theater yesterday, causing damage estimated at more than $25,000. The flames damaged the theater balcony and ceiling and melted sound transcription records. The playhouse was constructed five years ago at a cost of $150,000.
Anyone know the status of this theatre?
Just toured it today. pretty sad shape with pigeons roosting in it. Being used by city fir storage. Since they ran out if money before putting in balcony seats in California Theater I don’t see the city restoring this before it is too late. All seats are gone and raked floor is now level concrete
the marquee is now gone
City of Pittsburg owns the building. Stripped of seats and furnishings, the theatre had the main floor levelled for warehouse use. Proscenium, balcony, lobby and lounge areas are all there—-awaiting reuse. It would make a great dance floor for the younger set, with a parking lot next door. The neon and bulb lit deco ceiling lighting along with side wall murals should be fabulous once restored. The lobby has a circular wall mural replete with the Enea family crest. The city has repaired the roof and painted the exterior in repulsive beige. Anyone got a few million to revive this place…?
Went to this theater when I was a little kid. If you sat in the middle of the auditorium and looked straight up at the ceiling, it looked like a upside down bug with this gold glowing body with the legs stretched to the walls lol. If I remember right the walls had zebras on their hind legs ready to stomp on a soldier ahead of it holding a spear and above the arch was a outline of a rose. Wonder what it looks like inside today.
Boxoffice, May 8, 1948: “SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. - Sheriff’s deputies recovered a battered safe from the shallows of San Pablo bay recently. It was the safe which had been stolen several months earlier from the Enean Theatre in Pittsburg.”
A 4-alarm fire erupted at the historic Enean Theater in Pittsburg, creating chaos and a challenging scenario for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) firefighters, who responded swiftly to the emergency.
https://hoodline.com/2023/08/historic-enean-theater-ablaze-pittsburg-firefighters-battle-fierce-4-alarm-fire/