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Columbia Theater

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Columbia City’s citizens watched movies here from the 1920s into the 1960s. The theater’s unusual T shape stems from a law requiring “amusement” businesses to be located more than 500 feet from a school. Thus the theater had a marquee on Rainier Avenue, but the official entrance was at the end of a ramp beyond the retail shops along Rainier.

Images

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

This building has a strange shape for a very interesting reason. Built in 1920, this building was made as a "T" in order to comply with local laws. In that time, no amusement building in Columbia City was allowed to be within 500 feet of a school. As such, the viewing area was placed at the end of a very long hallway which technically complied with local laws, since the actual theater itself was 500 feet away. Over the years, this space has been home to different businesses, usually operating in the lobby near the front of the building including a sweet shop and a bakery. While some renovations to the facade has been made over time, much of it is still origonal and stands as a great example of 1920s architecture.

Sources

Elliot Day on behalf of Rainier Valley Historical Society. "Rainier Valley Investment Company." Clio: Your Guide to History. September 23, 2020. Accessed September 29, 2020. https://www.theclio.com/tour/1539/1

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