Description of Historic Place

The Empress Theatre, now the home of Larsen's Tire Warehouse, is a two-storey, flat-roofed concrete building. Concrete pilasters frame the entrance front, and eight small rectangular windows surmount the second storey facing Front Street in Penticton, British Columbia.

Heritage Value

The Empress Theatre is valued for its original function as the Empire Theatre, which was an integral part of the historic Front Street area, reflecting its rise and fall as a commercial area. Front Street had its origins in the early days of Penticton's settlement when it was the main business street accessed by passengers disembarking the paddle-wheelers. The construction of the theatre represents the pre-World War I building boom in Penticton when, during a two year period, a handful of downtown buildings were constructed of concrete for the first time. The materials used demonstrate the confidence of the builders in Penticton's emerging economy as the city was developing into a major regional transportation hub.

The theatre has social value for its role in the early cultural life of Penticton. It seated 540 and opened with a sold-out crowd on January 8th, 1913. The lifespan of the theatre, as both the Empire and the Empress Theatres, included the period of vaudeville, silent movies and, with the advent of movie chains, it became part of the Paramount Pictures Berry circuit as the Empress Theatre starting August 1, 1918. When 'talkies', were introduced around 1930 the theatre was renovated. It was used for movies, opera, theatre, and public events until 1936 when its business was usurped by a theatre on Main Street. It then fell into disrepair and was used as a tire warehouse for many decades, thus reflecting the change in location of the business community in Penticton from Front Street to Main Street.

The Empress Theatre is also valued for its association with two key people in Penticton's development, builder C.A.C. Steward and architect A. F. Pelton. C.A.C. Steward was a very early south Okanagan resident residing in Fairview prior to moving to Penticton, and was involved in numerous entertainment and cultural businesses. His furniture store housed Steward's Hall or the Opera House on its second floor, and he also owned Penticton's previous movie theater, the Dreamland. He was responsible for providing Penticton with a range of events in all three venues which illustrated North American trends in the entertainment and motion picture industry spanning the first three decades of the 20th century.

The association with one of Penticton's most important early architects, A. F. Pelton is also notable. The use of poured-in-place concrete for its construction rather than wood, concrete blocks, or bricks was described as "revolutionary" in the 1912 Penticton Herald. The architecture, described at the time of construction as 'Roman Doric', with a Romanesque archway and Doric columns was typical of the eclectic classical and fantastic designs of early North American movie theatres. This Romanesque entranceway was altered in 1930 to a recessed entrance with double doors. In recent years the entrance has been removed to create a flat plate glass front, and the 'Empress Theatre' sign has been plastered over.

SOURCE: City of Penticton

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Empress Theatre include its:
-association with early North American theatre architecture
-early use of poured in place concrete construction
-central location in the Front Street Heritage Conservation Area
-classical architectural elements, including pilasters and eight symmetrical second storey windows
-association with early cultural events in Penticton
-interior ceiling moldings and painted frescos