Buildings & Sites
Issaquah Theater
(Village Theatre First Stage)
April 1999 photo by David Bangs
Village Theatre First Stage: 120 Front Street N. See
Map
From the 1998 "Issaquah Historic Property Inventory":
History
Mr. Rufus H. Glenn came to Issaquah in 1912 and opened a theater in town. And
in 1913 he built the Issaquah Theater Building at this site where silent films
were shown. The theater has a flat floor, and originally had removable seats to
make room for other activities held in the building. Basketball games, school
dances, and commencement exercises were some of the events which took place
there.
During the 1920's when the coal miners were on strike, Mr. Glenn showed
movies on Mine Hill to the strike breakers, or "scabs", who didn't
feel safe coming into town. Sometime before 1932, John Brunberg bought the
theater. Subsequent owners through 1977 were: Jim Brooks Sr. 1945-6; Keith
Beckwith; Mr. Robert Catterall, who bought in 1967 from Mr. Don Rarey.
Mr. Catterall remodeled the theater and turned over the management to
Reverend Gray of Pine Lake Presbyterian Church. A board of seven persons was
elected from the church to direct the theater as a non-profit organization
called the Issaquah Theater Group. Volunteers from the church congregation
cleaned and repaired the theater and offered their services selling tickets,
running the concession and ushering. Funds from the theater went to the church,
and a source of entertainment was provided for young people in Issaquah.
After being closed for a time, the words "Unsafe-Do Not Occupy"
adorned the front door of the building before it reopened in 1979 as the
original home as the Village Theatre.
Now that the Village Theatre has moved into larger quarters at 303 Front
Street North, this building is known as the "First Stage", and is used
for performances of the Village Theatre's "Village Originals" series
of plays.
Building Description
The Issaquah Theater is an intact example of an early pioneer wood frame
commercial structure in Issaquah's original downtown. It is a 2 story
rectangular form with a low pitched front gable roof and a western plain false
front at the street; the false front also runs along the south elevation. The
front (west) and north walls are horizontal flush board siding with corner
boards. The parapet is decorated with 5 pairs of decorative scrolled brackets
and a wide cornice and frieze. The wide 1-over-1 double hung wood frame windows
and trim are original on the front (west) and sides. The street level has been
extensively renovated from the original.
Bibliographic References
Issaquah Historical Society files. King County historic survey completed by
Kay Bullis, 1977. King County Tax Assessors records. Village Theatre promotional
literature.
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