Smoot pretties itself for 100th anniversary
Second-year apprentices from the International Painters and Allied Trades District 53 in West Virginia brought new life to the front doors at the Smoot Theatre in Parkersburg. The historic show house was built 100 years ago in October 1926. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
The project to restain the mahogany entrance doors of the Smoot Theatre took about four days this week. Second-year apprentice Richard Rutherford of Fairmont tapes the windows prior to restaining. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Michael Stafford of Newport, a second-year apprentice with the International Painters and Allied Trades District 53, sands the wood at the entrance to the Smoot Theatre on Fifth Street in Parkersburg. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Felice Jorgeson, executive director of the Smoot Theatre in Parkersburg, admires the workmanship of the second-year apprentices from the International Painters and Allied Trades District 53 in West Virginia who are restaining the front doors of the theater. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Apprentices Branden Bowman of Bellaire, Ohio, left, and Cody Counts of Charleston check the smoothness of the wood prior to staining at the Smoot Theatre as part of the 100-year anniversary activities. The apprentices in the project are under the direction of Terry Cunningham, drywall and commercial painter instructor for International Painters and Allied Trades District 53 in West Virginia. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Second-year apprentices from the International Painters and Allied Trades District 53 in West Virginia brought new life to the front doors at the Smoot Theatre in Parkersburg. The historic show house was built 100 years ago in October 1926. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
The project to restain the mahogany entrance doors of the Smoot Theatre took about four days this week. Second-year apprentice Richard Rutherford of Fairmont tapes the windows prior to restaining. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Michael Stafford of Newport, a second-year apprentice with the International Painters and Allied Trades District 53, sands the wood at the entrance to the Smoot Theatre on Fifth Street in Parkersburg. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Felice Jorgeson, executive director of the Smoot Theatre in Parkersburg, admires the workmanship of the second-year apprentices from the International Painters and Allied Trades District 53 in West Virginia who are restaining the front doors of the theater. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Apprentices Branden Bowman of Bellaire, Ohio, left, and Cody Counts of Charleston check the smoothness of the wood prior to staining at the Smoot Theatre as part of the 100-year anniversary activities. The apprentices in the project are under the direction of Terry Cunningham, drywall and commercial painter instructor for International Painters and Allied Trades District 53 in West Virginia. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
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PARKERSBURG - Second apprentices from the International Painters and Allied Trades District 53 in West Virginia brought new life to the front doors at the Smoot Theatre in Parkersburg, where the historic show house is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The theater this month is celebrating the anniversary that will include the work to the doors and special shows.
The Smoot Theatre was constructed in 1926 and opened on Oct. 18, 1926.
The apprentices from a training program of District 53 last week refinished the exterior doors and woodwork and painted the front in time for Sunday’s musical celebration.
"We will be restaining all the wood," said Terry Cunningham, drywall and commercial painter instructor for District 53. "It's going to look good."
The building that was built as a vaudeville house was owned and operated by the Smoot Advertising Co. and brothers Charles and Fayette Smoot. The Smoot brothers also owned the Lincoln and Camden theaters.
The first part of the project was to pressure wash and clean the area from the grime from Fifth Street in front of the theater, Cunningham said. After cleaning, the wood was sanded and the windows masked before applying stain and protected with a clear coat finish, he said.
"We're going to get things back to that mahogany look," Cunningham said.
The preparation before the application takes most of the time, Cunningham said.
"Terry is right there with his experience to make sure it's done good," Felice Jorgeson, executive director of the theater, said.
Commercial painting is a three-year apprenticeship program. Other programs include glazers, industrial and hydro, of which the latter two involve painting large structures such as bridges and water towers and cleaning of power houses and chemical plants, Cunningham said.
Jorgeson is appreciative of the work by the apprentices and the union. A friend put her in touch with the program and Cunningham.
"He came to see me," Jorgeson said.
The door is open for another project by the apprentices next year, Jorgeson said. Also part of the project this year is painting the dressing rooms, she said.
She's happy with the work.
"I came down last night and saw people going by and slowing down to see what was going on," said Jorgeson, who also took the apprentices to see the architecture of St. Xavier Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church and the Smith home on Juliana Street. "The word must be out."
The opening in October 1926 included a vaudeville show and a movie. By the 1930s, vaudeville was waning with the advent of radio and the popularity of movies.
Warner Bros. bought the theater in 1930. The theater operated until it was closed in 1986 and sat vacant for three years before it was purchased by a local group with the intention and the help of Jim Wakley of the McDonough Foundation to restore it.