Kiggins Theatre

The Kiggins Theatre is a single-screen movie theater in Vancouver, Washington. Named for former Vancouver mayor and businessman John P. Kiggins, it opened in 1936. It is located at 1011 Main Street in downtown Vancouver.

Architecture

The Kiggins Theatre was designed in the Art Deco style by architect Day Walter Hilborn. The walls were constructed using formed concrete, with decorative motifs on the exterior and interior. The "Kiggins" neon sign is original, as are some of the interior light fixtures. The original marquee was replaced the late 1950s. An elaborate mural originally painted inside the building no longer exists.

History

Construction of the Kiggins Theatre began on September 20, 1935. The theater opened on April 24, 1936, with a showing of She Married Her Boss.

The Kiggins operated continuously as a movie theater from 1936 to 1955. In 1958, the interior and exterior of the theater were renovated; the current marquee was installed at that time. The Kiggins reopened as part of the Adamson Theaters chain, which ran the theater for the next two decades. In 1980, the theater was acquired by a local church, and stopped showing commercial movies in favor of Christian films. The theater closed after a fire in 1981. From 1983 through 1996, the Kiggins again operated as a movie theater, showing second run double features. The theater was renovated again in the spring of 1997, when some architectural features were restored, and more modern projection and sound equipment were installed. The theater opened under new management in May 1997, and operated until May 2010, when it closed because of financial difficulties.