National Register of Historic Places

Rialto Theater

Dear Lodge, Powell County, Montana
Listed
February 19, 1998
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
98000124

About this property

The Rialto Theater in Deer Lodge, Montana was built in 1921 with 720 seats. The Beaux Arts style theater featured extensive painted murals, artistic plaster designs, and a painted stage backgrounds. The distinctive exterior used white terra cotta and red roof tiles. The theatre was purchased in 1995 for $60,000 by a non-profit community organization that then began restoring and operating the theatre. The Rialto was gutted by a fire on November 4, 2006, that destroyed the stage, auditorium and balcony. Rebuilding costs were originally estimated in the 6 to 8 million dollar range. The Deer Lodge community immediately began undertaking the endeavor, and the theatre was officially reopened in May 2012. The rebuild was long and sustained and focused on historical reproduction, affordability, and practicality. The general contractor chosen, Martel Construction, was selected because of their willingness to work with volunteer labor and a long time frame. Final costs were approximately 3.4 million dollars. The theater is a contributing building in the Deer Lodge Central Business Historic District which was listed on the National Register in 1998.

Location

418 Main St.
Dear Lodge, Powell County, Montana
46.40040, -112.73642

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Nearby Historic Sites

Deer Lodge Central Business Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Coleman, William E., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Robworth Apartments
Industrial
0.3 mi
Deer Lodge American Women's League Chapter House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Bielenberg, Nick J., House
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Rialto Theater listed on the National Register?

Rialto Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 19, 1998.

What type of historic resource is Rialto Theater?

Rialto Theater is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Rialto Theater?

The period of significance for Rialto Theater is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Rialto Theater?

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