Work could begin soon on the restoration of one of the most archetypal movie houses in southern Colorado.
Built in 1917 when Charlie Chaplin was the nation’s number one film star, the Fox Theater of Walsenburg originally stood out for its distinctive brick parapet and decorative ironwork.
Located at 715 Main Street, the theater underwent a renovation in 1941 that saw the addition of a more contemporary Art Deco exterior.
While the structure, which was donated to larger Huerfano County in 1994, has continued to serve as an entertainment venue, showing independent films and presenting live musical performances, it has in recent years begun to show its age.
According to local documents, the Fox has been challenged by a leaking roof, electrical system issues, and a deterioration of its masonry.
Now the State Historical Fund, which is operated by the group History Colorado, has announced the awarding of a $250,000 grant that will be paired with local funds to begin the process of restoring the theater.
In a statement, Mike Peters, executive director of the non-profit group Fox Theater Walsenburg, which operates the building and its programming, said the grant funding “extends far beyond the walls of the Fox Theater, positively affecting the entire community.”
Additional work at the theater is expected to see a repairing of the building’s dressing rooms, which in the past have been subject to flooding, and the installation of a new heating and cooling system.
The building was originally opened as the Star Theater, and later featured a massive Wurlitzer pipe organ. It became the Fox Theater in 1941, showing movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age produced by studio giant Twentieth Century Fox.
By Garry Boulard
