Clio Logo
Discover U.S. 60: The Midland Trail
Item 81 of 270
This charming Art Deco building sits on Washington Street in the East End of Charleston, West Virginia. Built in 1939, this theater entertained the citizens of Charleston until its closing in 1982. The building was vacant for many years and was in a state of disrepair when, in 2005, the WVSSPA restored it for office use.

The theater as it appears today

The theater as it appears today
This building was built in 1939 as the State Theater, and served the community of Charleston until its closing in 1982. The property was vacant for nearly thirty years and suffered much damage, including a partially collapsed roof. It was a sad sight until the West Virginia Secondary Schools Personal Association (WVSSPA) undertook a restoration effort for the theater in 2005.

The theater originally had an unpainted red brick facade, but the restoration included a pale yellow paint scheme. There was also major renovations done to the interior once the roof had been repaired.  Windows were replaced with salvaged Vitrolite glass panels and a reproduction Art Deco main door, which adds to the overall period appearance of the building.1
1 "Old State Theater | Why Charleston? Visit Charleston, West Virginia." Old State Theater | Why Charleston? Visit Charleston, West Virginia. November 9, 2008. Accessed May 5, 2015. http://whycharlestonwv.com/headline/old-state-theater/.