Sunrise Theatre

Building Sunrise Theatre was idea of successful businessman Rupert N. Koblegard, who arrived in Fort Pierce with his family in 1906 and proceeded to invest in pineapples and real estate. He became a primary stockholder of a company called the Sunrise Fruit Company, which owned the land (a pineapple field) on which the theater now stands. The exact reason why Koblegard decided to build the theater is unclear, but perhaps he saw a lucrative business opportunity in the height of the Florida land boom. The contractor who built the Sunrise was Clarence E. Cahow, who was elected mayor during its construction.

The theater opened on August 1, 1923 to great fanfare. Over 1,200 attended the event, which included performances, speeches, and a movie. Interestingly, the seats in the balcony had not been installed yet. In its early years, the Sunrise hosted vaudeville acts, operas, musicals and theatrical performances, silent films and, eventually, movies with sound. Today it continues to host a variety of shows and performances.

By the 1980s, interest in the Sunrise had decreased as suburban theaters increased in popularity. The rest of the downtown had declined as well. As a result, the theater closed on September 8, 1983 and eventually fell into disrepair. In 1988, an organization called Main Street Fort Pierce was established and led the effort to save the Sunrise from demolition and to restore it. Another organization, the St. Lucie Preservation Association, Inc., bought the theater and, it appears, continued the restoration efforts. The Sunrise finally reopened on January 6, 2006. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places 2001.

"About the Sunrise." Sunrise Theatre. Accessed March 30, 2021. https://www.sunrisetheatre.com/about-us.

Harrington, Tim. "Sunrise Theatre." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. December 7, 2001. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/78f00b15-ebb4-438c-b4a6-165a8c9c7544.