Bethesda Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Bethesda Theatre, constructed in 1938, is a historic Streamline Moderne movie theater located at 7719 Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355
), Bethesda
, Maryland, United States. It is a multi-level building composed of rectangular blocks: an auditorium block and a lower street-front lobby and entrance block, including shops. The theatre retains its original configuration of lobby, foyer, lounges, and auditorium. Many original interior finishes, including painted murals, remain intact, with the exception of the original seating. It was designed by the firm of the world-renowned "Dean of American Theatre Architects," John Eberson
.
In 1983 it re-opened as the "Bethesda Cinima and Drafthouse" showing movies on a single screen and serving food and beer. In 1990 it changed its name to the "Bethesda Theatre Cafe". In 2007 it underwent a major renovation and became a venue for theatrical productions. Currently it is owned by the Bethesda Cultural Alliance but is set to be auctioned off on June 29, 2010.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1999.
Maryland Route 355
Maryland Route 355 is a north–south road in western central Maryland in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Washington, D.C. border in Friendship Heights, Montgomery County, where it continues south as Wisconsin Avenue into Washington. The northern terminus is...
), Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Maryland, United States. It is a multi-level building composed of rectangular blocks: an auditorium block and a lower street-front lobby and entrance block, including shops. The theatre retains its original configuration of lobby, foyer, lounges, and auditorium. Many original interior finishes, including painted murals, remain intact, with the exception of the original seating. It was designed by the firm of the world-renowned "Dean of American Theatre Architects," John Eberson
John Eberson
John Eberson was an American architect best known for his movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre fashion.Born in Czernowitz, Austro-Hungarian Empire , Eberson went to highschool in Dresden and studied electrical engineering in Vienna. He arrived in the United States in 1901 and at first...
.
In 1983 it re-opened as the "Bethesda Cinima and Drafthouse" showing movies on a single screen and serving food and beer. In 1990 it changed its name to the "Bethesda Theatre Cafe". In 2007 it underwent a major renovation and became a venue for theatrical productions. Currently it is owned by the Bethesda Cultural Alliance but is set to be auctioned off on June 29, 2010.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1999.
External links
- Bethesda Theatre, Montgomery County, Inventory No.: M: 35-14-4, including photo in 1998, at Maryland Historical Trust website