{"nrhp_refnum":"09001116","name":"California Theatre, The","other_names":["The California Theatre of the Performing Arts"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"562 W. 4th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Bernardino","county":"San Bernardino County","state":"CA","lat":33.71897539100007,"lon":-117.29400839099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-12-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1928 Spanish Eclectic movie and live-performance theatre at 562 West Fourth Street in San Bernardino, California, designed by architect John Paxton Perrine for the Fox West Coast Theatre Corporation. It includes a Wurlitzer Style-216 theatre organ (Opus 1850) counted as a contributing object.","why_significant":"The theatre is nominated under Criterion A as a center of entertainment and recreation for San Bernardino during Hollywood's Golden Age, from its 1928 opening to 1950. It hosted several movie world premieres and test screenings of films such as King Kong and The Wizard of Oz. Its Wurlitzer organ is the only Style-216 remaining in its original location.","narrative":"Opened in August 1928 by the Fox West Coast Theatre Corporation, this San Bernardino theatre on West Fourth Street was designed by John Paxton Perrine in a lavish Spanish Eclectic style. Built of steel-reinforced poured concrete with a stuccoed, symmetrical front facade, it seated 1,750 and offered plush seating and air-conditioning. Six former storefronts on the ground floor now serve the theatre, and the marquee and second-story balustrade have been replaced. Inside, a Wurlitzer Style-216 organ, Opus 1850, is one of only thirteen of its type built and the only one still in its original location. The theatre is significant for its role in entertainment during Hollywood's Golden Age, from 1928 to 1950. It hosted movie world premieres, including After the Thin Man, and screened films such as King Kong and The Wizard of Oz to test audience reaction. It also staged vaudeville and other live shows, making San Bernardino a major regional venue.","period_of_significance":"1928-1950","architect_builder":"Perrine, John Paxton (Architect)","architectural_style":"19th & 20th Century Revivals: Mission-Spanish Colonial (Eclectic); Spanish Eclectic","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still used as a theatre and music facility; the organ is only about 50% playable due to age and lack of maintenance.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.507659-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/09001116.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09001116/b0e6c07441-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09001116/b0e6c07441-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Amerique","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_Theatre,_San_Bernardino.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Amerique</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_Theatre,_San_Bernardino.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860736","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Theatre_of_the_Performing_Arts","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5021138"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-bernardino-county/california-theatre-the-09001116/"}