20: St. John's Garage - 1914, 452-456 North Market Boulevard

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The building was originally built, owned, and operated by the St. John Motors Co. (a Ford dealership). Markings denoting the stalls for each car on display can be seen on the exposed walls on the first floor. The San Juan Apartment complex behind the building was the original shop – note the enormous concrete headers over the windows in the alley. The St. Helen’s Theater opened for business on May 12, 1924 with this stunning brick façade and tile roof – one of many to adorn the structure. Its tagline was, “House of Hits.” The theater housed a mammoth Kimball pipe organ costing $15,000. In addition to motion picture screenings, the venue was designed to accommodate touring theatrical productions on a stage 22 feet wide and 40 feet deep. The theater closed in 1954. The building was purchased in 2006 and the outside façade was restored to its heyday as the St. Helens Theater. Renovation of the interior continues. The theater itself had been concealed by walls over the years, but hidden treasurers were found underneath those walls. A brilliant Italian-style fresco of alternating pairs of phoenix and ornate vases in turquoise and cinnabar circles most of the perimeter of the tall ceilings. A beautiful chandelier was also uncovered in its original location more than 50 years after its final use as a theater.