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Location: Historical Tour > City Center > Hill Theatre
Hill Theatre
127 NE Third Avenue | |
This is the only example of the Art Deco style of architecture in Hillsboro. The façade's stucco surfacing exhibits vertically-incised lines which emphasize the stepped parapet. A three-sided marquee projects from the center of the building's front elevation and neon letters spell the name “Hill.” Additionally, the interior features two stairways with Art Deco railings.
Orange Phelps had this theater built in 1937. Phelps was a well-known theater operator and businessman who opened a string of theaters in Hillsboro: the Arcade (1908), the Liberty (1911), the Majestic (1916) and the Hill. The Liberty Theater was opened in the former Shute bank building. After a 1925 fire, it was remodeled and reopened as the Venetian. Later, during the 1950s, it was renamed the Town Theater and bore this title until 2008 when a long-awaited renovation project was completed and the theater reclaimed its former identity: the Venetian Theatre.
In 1921, Orange Phelps oversaw the construction of Shute Park Pavilion and ran for city council. He was elected for two terms as a council member and served as mayor from 1929 to 1935. He was a catcher for a semi-pro baseball team and is also remembered for organizing spectacular Independence Day celebrations.
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Research source(s): City of Hillsboro, Oregon. “Hillsboro Cultural Resource Inventory.” Hillsboro, Oregon: October 1985.
Photo date: August 2002
Photo credit: Matthew Andersen |
| Photographic image(s) copyright © 2002 Matthew Andersen. Photographic image(s) on this page are property of Matthew Andersen and are protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Image(s) may not be used in any form without written permission of Matthew Andersen and payment of required usage fees. To receive permission and reproduction rights, contact Matthew Andersen : chainein [at] yahoo [dot] com. |
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