By Katherine Kasckow
December 13, 2017
In the 1930s the local spot to catch a film in Pinedale, Wyoming, was Wilson Hall. With 150 wooden benches and folding chairs, the building provided the basics for a theater. In September 1940 the new Skyline Theater opened at 14 North Franklin Street. An article in the Pinedale Roundup described the Skyline: “The beautiful interior is indirectly lighted from each side of the upper portion of each wall. Silhouettes depicting mountain scenery, winter sports, hunting and fishing and other recreational facilities adjacent to Pinedale, lend local color to the interior decorations. A raised floor and comfortable furniture makes theatre-going a pleasure. Acoustics are excellent, as the building was designed for sound equipment.” [1]
The Skyline Theater was of a western vernacular style, with modest art deco elements. The original structure was constructed entirely of cinder block and cement. The Skyline Theater was continually operated as a theater until the 1980s, and it was used as a retail establishment until the early 2000s.
Today, the original facade, including the theater signage and stone veneer, has been removed and replaced with wood and stone siding materials. Exterior historic windows and doors have been covered up with contemporary siding material, but within the interior of the building, a few original doors from the can be found.
The Skyline Theater building is located in Pinedale’s locally designated historic district. The District participates as one of the Wyoming Main Street communities. In 2017, Main Street Pinedale was awarded a Historic Architecture Assistance Fund (HAAF) grant. A feasibility study was completed by Dubbe-Moulder Architects of Jackson, Wyoming, and Main Street Pinedale is considering the next steps for this centrally located building. According to Kate Dahl, Program Manager at Main Street Pinedale:
“The Skyline Theater building is important to Pinedale because the theater building is potentially historic, located right downtown, and in our locally designated historic district. Many residents have fond, shared memories of seeing movies there with their friends and family. The HAAF grant allowed us to explore the possibility of restoring the theater, and what it would cost to do so. We will use the assessment provided as a basis for grant applications. Without the HAAF grant, it would have been difficult for us to raise enough funds to pay for an assessment and source the right expertise. The HAAF grant expedited the process so we can get to the point of fundraising and writing grants to support the project restoration.”
[1]Vasquez-Hernandez, Anthony. "Skyline Theatre." Cinema Treasures. Accessed December 12, 2017. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/50719.
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This project was funded in part by a Historic Architecture Assistance Fund grant, and completed by Dubbe-Moulder Architects. The program is offered by the Alliance for Historic Wyoming in partnership with Wyoming Main Street and the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, and is made possible by a grant from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund.
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