Civic to enter its 100th year with new life - thanks to all of you
Steve Lawrence was excited to show off the final stages of restoration at The Dalles Civic Auditorium this week. Lawrence pitched the idea of funding the restoration to the Oregon Legislatures twice to secure $750,000 of the overall $3.5 million to put the building back in shape. Gov. Kate Brown and House Speaker Tina Kotek both got a tour of the building. The current painting of the Civic was made possible by a community challenge grant from Jerry McKay and Nancy Fath who donated $100,000 to be matched. Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal also put $170,000 toward the project. Hundreds of contributors and thousands of volunteer hours have made the restoration possible.
By Tom Peterson
If you put your ear to the floor of The Dalles Civic Auditorium, maybe you can hear those footsteps.
Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions.
Of friends, neighbors, grandparents, great grandparents.
Dancing at weddings and quinceaneras, clapping at concerts, waving numbers at auctions, telling stories at retirement parties, memorials.
A lot of magic happens at The Dalles Civic Audtiorium, which plays host to masquerade balls, dances, quinceaneras, weddings and concerts.
The 99-year-old building has been there for 10 decades providing a comfortable space of gathering for the people of The Dalles.
The stage floor of the theater has been restored and now also includes a Grand Piano with a piano lift provided by the music teachers of The Dalles. In the 1950's the auditorium was converted into a movie theatre complete with a projection room, an outside ticket moth and a concession section in the lower lobby. Lawrence said his TDHS class of ‘59 and those that followed put a lot of time and money into the restoration.
So it brought Steve Lawrence great joy this week to show off the place. He and hundreds of others are realizing the completion of its renovation. It started with humble beginnings back in 1990 with flea market fundraisers and the sweat of volunteers who saw the greatness in the versatile structure.
The nonprofit Civic Auditorium Preservation Committee bought the building for $! from the City in the move to save it.
Work continues this week as H.B. Painters is deep into the exterior renovation, one of the last steps in the revitalization. They are sealing the brick and painting the windows and walls.
This orginal chandelier and its partner, after restoration, will eventually adorn the ceiling of the theater as they did some 99 years ago when the Civic was built.
It was made possible by Jerry McKay and Nancy Fath. They provided a challenge grant of $100,000, and it has been matched thus far with $70,000 from community members for a total of $140,000 that can currently be expended.
Jerry McKay grew up in The Dalles, playing basketball at the Civic, building balsa-wood model airplanes, learning to ballroom dance, Fath said.
“Donating to the Civic was originally Jerry’s idea… We discussed this several years ago and I got on board with it and got excited,” said Fath on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
Jerry, unfortunately, did not get to see the project come to fruition as the student of architecture passed in 2018.
Final finishes in the balcony foyer for the theater let the original bricks do the talking. Lawrence thanked Griffin Contruction which did much of the recent work. The company even built a ramp to drive a lift into the theater to add rafters to the ceiling for support, saving thousands.
From his father and Grandfather’s carpentry skills, and Jerry’s own study of architecture, he grew a love of design, fine buildings. He used to declare he’d like to die with a hammer in his hand and he came literally close to that. His last day was spent with a paintbrush doing the trim on his house in White Salmon.
“I am carrying out this commitment we made together,” Fath said. “Jerry and I recognize that we are just part of an effort by a great many people to keep the Civic alive as a place. It was important to him for the community to have that great building for people to come together.”
This photo shows the entrance into the theater with ADA seeting at the top level, enough for 100.
Jerry and Nancy attended numerous Trail Band concerts... always a highlight of the Christmas Season.”There were fundraising events, retirement parties, friends of ours had a birthday party. We had lots of fun events in the ballroom and theater.”
The building was constructed in 1921-22 at a cost of $125,000 and was close to demolition in the late 1970s.
Both Fath and Lawrence noted the construction of such a space, with an 800-seat theater, community room, fireside room and a ballroom with a floating floor would be out of reach today.
A total of $3.5 million has gone into the renovation, Lawrence said.
“I never thought I would see this in my lifetime,” Lawrence said of the impending completion.
Lawrence remembers watching the Kingsmen and Paul Revere & The Raiders in the theater as a teen.
Angus L. Bowmer who founded the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland came through the theater decades ago, Lawrence said.
“Acoustically, he said it was one of the best in Oregon.”
Watch CCCNews for upcoming details on the Civic’s restoration party and celebration of its 100th year.
The Civic’s ballroom uses levered trusses to provide spring to the floor and a little lightness to the feat while dancing. It is one of just a few buildings in Oregon that has this feature.
The Theater Foyer on the first floor provides a soft feel before entering the theater for a play, concert or even a company presentation.
A light blue color was chosen for the Fireside Room, which is perfect for smaller gatherings or meetings.
Likely, the most used space in the building, the community room has seen numerous farmer’s markets, community open houses and other events.
The Civic is an example of neoclassical architecture and was was designed by the Portland architectural firm of Houghtaling & Dougan.
