{"nrhp_refnum":"73000417","name":"Nevada Theatre","other_names":["The Cedar Theatre"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Broad and Bridge Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Nevada City","county":"Nevada County","state":"CA","lat":39.26285616500007,"lon":-121.02020761099999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-03-14","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Performing Arts"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick theatre building at Broad and Bridge Streets in Nevada City, California, begun in 1864 and completed in July 1865. It opened as a playhouse in September 1865 and was heavily altered in 1938 for use as a movie theatre.","why_significant":"Theatre historians regard it as the earliest original theatre still standing in California, judged by its original purpose and use. Its original facade is cited as an example of 'Mother Lode' or 'Gold Country' architecture, possibly Victorian in style. Locally it is considered the county's most significant restoration project for its economic potential.","narrative":"Built between 1864 and July 1865 at Broad and Bridge Streets in Nevada City, this brick theatre opened in September 1865 with the Worrell Sisters, under San Francisco manager Tom Maguire. The original auditorium held 750 people and had a flat floor, a single balcony and a stage with a basement for dressing rooms. In 1938 the building was converted for movies: the facade was stuccoed and given a marquee and neon sign, the stage was removed, and the floor was lowered and raked. The sign and marquee were removed in 1968 and 1970, and stucco removal began in 1972 as restoration proceeded. Theatre historians call it the earliest original theatre still standing in California, and its facade is cited as an example of Mother Lode architecture. It has hosted opera, repertory theatre, concerts, lectures and film showings, and county officials value it as a restoration project with economic potential.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (construction began 1864; completed July 1865)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"\"Mother Lode\" or \"Gold Country\" style, possibly Victorian; 1938 facade alterations in \"moderne\" style","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as good and altered; in use as a community playhouse and multipurpose auditorium while restoration work was in progress.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.10149-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/73000417.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000417/73e419e9c5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000417/73e419e9c5-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Almonroth","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nevada_Theater-4.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Almonroth</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:Nevada_Theater-4.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"85002520","name":"Nevada City Downtown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/california/nevada-city-downtown-historic-district-85002520/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860148","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Theatre","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q573887"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/nevada-county/nevada-theatre-73000417/"}