Boston recognized for efforts to save three theaters

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has presented Boston with a preservation honor award in recognition of the restoration of the Theater District.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino accepted the award last month at the organization’s annual conference.

Co-recipients of the award are Emerson College and Suffolk University, Boston Parks and Recreation Department, the Boston Landmarks Commission, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Elkus-Manfredi Architects.

The recognition is testament to the enduring dedication and steadfast determination of many like-minded individuals to revitalize a battered neighborhood along lower Washington Street known as the Combat Zone.

Three theaters – the Opera House, the Paramount and the Modern –had been shuttered for years and were in desperate need of repairs if they were to avoid the wrecking ball. Today they are open and boast the grandeur of old.

Saving the buildings began in 1995 when the Boston Preservation Alliance organized a charrette to highlight their historic significance. In 1996 the area was designated as one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places.

The first of the three theaters to be revived was the Opera House, which reopened in 2004 after a $39 million restoration by Clear Channel Entertainment.

It was built in 1928 as the B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre at a cost of $5 million and provided vaudeville entertainment. Architect Thomas White Lamb designed the Art Deco building that featured a white terra cotta façade.

Initial preservation efforts of the Paramount, designed by Arthur Bowditch and built in 1932, began in 2002, when Millennium Partners-Boston repaired the 3,000-light marquee, restored the façade and repaired the roof.

After Emerson acquired the property in 2005, the school planned a complete interior restoration and redevelopment of the building in conjunction with the construction a student dormitory.

The Modern Theatre was the last of three theaters to be restored.COURTESY PHOTO /

PETER VANDERWARKER

Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the $0 million Paramount Center project houses a black box theater, a film screening room, sound stage, scene shop, seven rehearsal studios, green rooms, dressing rooms, as well as two restaurants and a residence hall. The center opened in January 2010.

The Modern, built in 1876 as a warehouse, was converted to a theater in 1913. Suffolk University invested $42 million to restore the marble and limestone façade and build an adjacent 10-story dormitory, which was designed by CBT Architects.

It reopened a year ago, and its theater lobby showcases artifacts from the original movie house as well as images of old movie posters and Hollywood stars of the day.

The Modern was the first to screen films with sound and premiered “The Jazz Singer.” When nearby vaudeville theaters began adding movies, then owner Jacob Lourie promoted the double feature. Admission was 15 cents.

 “We are fortunate to live in a city that is not only rich with historic spaces, but led by individuals like Mayor Menino, corporations and non-profits who care about preserving and restoring these treasures,” Sarah Kelly, executive director of the Boston Preservation Alliance.. said in prepared remarks.

“The collaboration we undertook to assure that these theaters were revitalized serves as a model for maximizing other opportunities for preserving historic properties throughout the city.”