{"nrhp_refnum":"78002962","name":"Jefferson Theater","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"345 Fannin St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Beaumont","county":"Jefferson County","state":"TX","lat":30.08199364500007,"lon":-94.09783677899998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-01-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation","Performing Arts"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A theatre building at 345 Fannin Street in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, completed in November 1927 and designed by Emile Weil, Inc. of New Orleans. It was built by the Jefferson Amusement Company as a movie house and live performance venue.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the theatre illustrates the cultural and civic improvement that followed the oil discoveries near Beaumont in the early twentieth century. It is a very good example of the multi-use entertainment facility of its era. Its slightly altered condition makes it a strong candidate for restoration as a performing arts venue.","narrative":"Completed in November 1927 at 345 Fannin Street in Beaumont, the Jefferson Theatre was designed by Emile Weil, Inc. of New Orleans and built by the Jefferson Amusement Company at a cost of about $1,000,000. Its symmetrical facade mixes classical elements, cast stone relief panels representing music, art and architecture, marble panels, and a green Spanish tile roof. Inside, a Spanish-style motif runs through the lobby, the 1,800-seat auditorium and the proscenium. The stage house holds five levels of dressing rooms and an original counterweight system that can handle 50 drops. A Robert Morton organ with 778 pipes sits on a disappearing platform. The theatre reflects the civic and cultural building that followed the Spindletop oil discoveries of 1901 and 1925. After closing in 1972, it passed through several owners to a preservation society that hoped to restore it as a regional performing arts center.","period_of_significance":"1927","architect_builder":"Emile Weil, Inc. (architect); Jefferson Amusement Company (builder)","architectural_style":"No particular style; combines classical elements with cast relief panels and stone detailing, with a Spanish-style interior motif","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society, which hopes to renovate it as a performing arts theatre; the form lists condition as good and altered, and the theatre closed in 1972.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.284861-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/12/9727/40972712/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/78002962.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002962/7615c70f19-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78002962/7615c70f19-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"i_am_jim","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jefferson_Theatre,_Beaumont,_Texas.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">i_am_jim</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jefferson_Theatre,_Beaumont,_Texas.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"78002959","name":"Beaumont Commercial District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/beaumont-commercial-district-78002959/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972712","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Theatre","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6175603"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/jefferson-county/jefferson-theater-78002962/"}