“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead
A Spectacular Restoration
Opening Night
The Columbia Theatre opened April 4, 1925, to great acclaim and was an architectural triumph. 2,400 people attended the performances opening weekend. Well-known organist Arnold Leverenz performed selections on the $30,000 W.W. Kimball organ, followed by acts by the Orpheum Junior Vaudeville Players. The Columbia attracted the leading artists of its day and presented silent films with live music accompaniment.
The Innovators
The theatre was designed by noted Theatre Architect George B. Purvis. The 1200-seat venue was a showcase for modern engineering and craftsmanship, built in the Classical Revival style. The auditorium was richly embellished with finely detailed ornamental plasterwork, stylized stenciling, and ornate chandeliers. Financed by a group of 40 local investors who formed the Columbia Amusement Company, the Project was initiated by Wesley Vandercook, the amusement company’s first president and J.H. Secrest, secretary and treasurer of the company. Purvis himself invested heavily in the construction and stated he had designed larger theatres “but none finer.”
Saved from the wrecking ball
Everything changed in 1927, with the ascendancy of “talkies” and the end of the silent-film era, which ultimately led to the demise of vaudeville. The Columbia transitioned to being a first run movie theatre where it served the community for decades. Its physical decline spanned many years, and by the 1980’s was scheduled for demolition.
The Columbia Theatre’s near demise is legendary. Demolition equipment was sitting in the parking lot when Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. With equipment being diverted to recovery operations, the delay ultimately “saved” the theatre. Virginia Rubin, a local radio personality and interior designer, formed a task force of citizens to save the theatre and the City of Longview took over ownership. The Theatre was designated a Historic Landmark in 1985, and the newly formed non-profit Columbia Theatre Association for the Performing Arts began the decades-long task of restoring the theatre to its original grandeur.
A major renovation in 2010 featured electrical and mechanical systems upgrades, new seating, flooring, expanded lobby, new restrooms, and technological improvements. In 2019, air-conditioning was added, the marquee was repaired and restored, and new stenciled glass inserts were installed in the lobby doors. Many generous donors and foundations contributed to the renovation, including the Cities of Longview and Kelso. The Cowlitz County Public Facilities District generated $ 6.1 million for the renovation and continues to generously support the facility and restoration of the Columbia Theatre today.
