State Theatre (Additional Documentation)

About this property

The State Theatre is a Spanish-styled atmospheric theatre in Kalamazoo, Michigan, designed by renowned architect John Eberson. The State was built for W.S. Butterfield Theatres in 1927, and remains in operation today, presenting live shows. The theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021. In the United States, the mid to late 1920s was a booming time for the film industry. With the growing power and vertical integration of major companies, between 1922 and 1930 the total investment in the film industry jumped from $78 million to $850 million. The average weekly attendance at American movie theatres doubled from 40 million in 1922 to 80 million in 1928. A key component to this growth was the creation of movie theatres. There was competition to provide a tremendous experience which led to the extravagant era of the Picture Palace. The term Picture Palace is used to describe the opulent style of theatre that seated thousands. The iconographic features of the exterior of the theatre were designed to make the front of the theatre a "show window" to invite customers to come see a performance. With fancy lobbies, uniformed ushers, musical accompaniments, and unique architecture these picture palaces were a unique draw that allowed a place where working and middle-class patrons could find luxury. Reflecting this national trend was Kalamazoo, a rising city during the twenties; due to the rapid increase in population it began to develop a need for a prominent theatre. The Kalamazoo State Theatre was built as a mid-sized picture palace in 1927 for the W.S. Butterfield Theatre chain. The State was constructed in 9 months at a cost of $350,000, equivalent to $6.5 million in 2025. Initially it was home to vaudeville shows, dance recitals, and silent films. The Kalamazoo State is an atmospheric theatre, employing a lit blue ceiling that evokes the night sky. The theatre was designed by John Eberson, a renowned theatre architect out of Chicago, who was known for his style of atmospheric theatres. For the Kalamazoo State he employed a Spanish theme. Originally the State seated 1,300 people with the interior reflecting a beautiful Spanish courtyard. The ceiling is painted dark blue with twinkling electric stars, and moving clouds which are projected across it to create an outdoor atmosphere. The auditorium, lobby, and mezzanine are decorated in a Mediterranean color scheme with pottery, furniture, wrought iron, statues, and paintings. Outside they utilize buff-colored tapestry, brick, and ornate terra-cotta accents. The State is home to its original Barton theatre organ, which accompanied silent pictures from 1927 to 1937. The introduction of "talkies" ended the use of the organ until 1950, but by 1961 it was fully restored and put back into service. The organ is still used for special presentations, but its condition is noted by the American Theatre Organ Society as "in need of restoration."

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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