On Monday August 11, 2008 we hosted a thank you dinner for our volunteers at the 7th Street Deli & Sweet Shoppe. We also had group photo shot, taken by Sativa Miller. One of the group photos will appear on the cover of our next newsletter, which will be coming out soon. We want to thank all of our absolutely wonderful volunteers who, with their enthusiasm, dedication, and hard work keep our community’s historic 7th Street Theatre alive for present and future generations. We all had a great time! If you’d like to see some more photos, here’s our album.
Where the stars light the sky and the stage – Hoquiam, WA
Yearly Archives: 2008
The new marquee
On July 11, 2008, Phoenix Sign Co. arrived at the theatre to install the new marquee, which is a replicate of the original. The original tracking system was used allowing the use of the original marquee letters. Here is a nighttime picture of the marquee, which lights up downtown Hoquiam. You can also view the album of the complete marquee and entryway project here. Happy 80th Birthday 7th Street Theatre!
Big Reel, April 1988
Being a sucker for any memorabilia related to the 7th Street Theatre, I made a purchase on eBay of an issue of the Big Reel, Issue No. 167 dated April 15, 1988. The seller stated that there was a one-page article about a Hoquiam theater, and when I emailed him to ask which theater, he replied with “the 7th Street.” I HAD to have this. Here is a copy of the article, republished from the July 19, 1987 issue of The Olympian.
The%20Reel.pdf
Volunteers paint the entryway
On Saturday, June 28, when the temperature soared into the 90s, several dedicated 7th Street Theatre volunteers braved the heat to paint the entryway. The board is sincerely grateful to everyone who helped. It truly would not have been possible to get so much done without the help of these great volunteers. You can see pictures of the marquee and entryway restoration progress here.
The marquee project
If you’ve been by the 7th Street Theatre recently, you may notice something different. What happened to the marquee? Those of us who have spent hours on the historic Jones Photo Collection website have learned that the theatre did not orginally have a marquee. 
When the theatre was built in 1928 the ends of the portico (entryway awning) posted upcoming events. This is where the red “7th St” signs are now. There was a flat awning that ran around the entire theatre, above the large windows in the shops. It must have been difficult, when walking near the front of the building, to see the event postings. In 1929, the original candlestick sign, which was located on the corner of the building above the Sweet Shoppe, was replaced with a lighted section added which was used to announce upcoming events. We believe that the marquee was added around 1942.
The theatre received a generous donation from Dick and
Pat Warren of Hoquiam to restore the marquee, which has been deteriorating in recent years. The neon lights did not work, the lighting on the inside of the unit were very dim, and it was consumed by rust. Phoenix Sign Co. of Aberdeen removed the sign today and it is scheduled to be back up in mid-July. If you get a chance, be sure to stop by and check it out! The original paint is visible, and we found that the sign covered up some of the beautiful woodwork.
So what is going on with the organ?
Early this year one of our volunteers, Betsy Seidel, tracked the theatre’s original organ to its owner, who had it at his home in Clute, Texas. Tom Quigg and Pat Oleachea (A BIG THANK YOU to Tom and Pat!!) stepped in and arranged for everything from the purchase, flight to Clute, and the 2700-mile trip back. Quigg’s Raiders –Tom Quigg, board member Lane Youmans, Mark Izatt, Marv Hammell and Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society member Dave Luttinen — headed to Clute in March 2008. In a few days’ time they loaded the organ up (with help from the Clute Volunteer Firefighters) into a UHaul, and Mark and Marv made the return trip, arriving in Hoquiam on March 20th. Check out the article in the Daily World. So that’s the short version. Pictured L-R are Lane, Tom, Mark and Marv. Thanks guys!!!
Now back to the question: What’s going on with the organ now? There are lots of pipes and other parts that need to be installed. The pipes need to be put back into the lofts. Another volunteer, Bob Martin (who happens to be married to organ-finder Betsy) has stepped forward and informed the Board that he is willing to start looking into what needs to be done. There are small parts that need to be cleaned and felt pads which need to be replaced. There will most likely be some fund raising in the future. This will all take time, but we look forward to seeing the theatre’s original organ back in operation as soon as it can be done.
Introducing the 7th Street Blog
Howdy, howdy, howdy. Yes, we’ve decided to start a blog. It’s a great way for a rowdy group of volunteers like us to keep in touch. Here’s to all in the future: news on our rigging project, the seat restoration drive, the live arts committee events, the movie committee events, the organ installation & restoration – everything on the road ahead.
All thanks to our community. We can’t do it without you.