Saenger Theater

The Saenger Theater in downtown Pine Bluff has stood for over 100 years. But for almost half of that time, the old building has sat empty and abandoned. And the accumulated decades of decay, rot, weather and vandals have left their indelible marks on the building.



But despite the abuse the building has taken, it still holds hints to its former majesty. And for the first time in years, there is optimism that the Saenger will be saved and restored to its former glory.



Last month I had the opportunity to tour the interior of the Saenger Theater, along with the talented photographer Matt Howard. The tour was given by Kathy Majewska, who is spearheading the effort to restore the Saenger to its former glory.

The Saenger wasn't the first theater on this site. The first was called the Hauber Theater, which burned down in 1922 (and which can be seen here in one of the creepiest pictures ever). The Saenger opened on November 17, 1924, and was called the "Showplace of the South." It was probably one of the finest and most elaborate theaters in Arkansas. The interior was built with an "Egyptian Temple" theme, and featured marble floors, massive chandeliers, gold leaf, and intricately detailed architectural motifs. While the massive chandeliers and the organ are gone, you can still see signs of the building's distinctive architecture and beauty.



The horseshoe-shaped balcony is typical of the Saenger's movie palace designs, which were all built in the early 1900s. The Saenger company built over 300 theaters across the country, with the Pine Bluff one being considered one of the chain's flagship theaters.



The stage is deep enough that it allowed for both movie screens and plays, and it saw performances from the likes of Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, John Philip Sousa, and the Zigfried Follies.



In the 1950s, the building was converted into a movie theater. And in order to "modernize" the building for the Atomic Age, pink linoleum tiles were placed over the Italian marble in the lobby. The massive golden chandeliers and the pipe organ (which was the largest in the state when it was installed) were removed. The finely detailed Egyptian themed details were painted over and obscured, and the theater box seats were removed to make way for an ungainly looking air conditioning unit.





The Saenger Theater closed in 1975 when new movie theaters and shopping malls began to open up in the suburbs. This was also about the same time that the Hotel Pines closed, along with many other downtown businesses.



The building sat empty and disused until the 1990s, when it became the home for the Pine Bluff Film Festival. But when the festival ended, the building would sit, seemingly abandoned. Holes in the roof led to major water damage, with chunks of the plaster on the wall collapsing onto the balcony. The old orchestra pit and basement were filled with several feet of murky water. Vandals made their way into the building, ripping out and stealing metal and wiring. The city of Pine Bluff became owners of the property, but the old theater wasn't a priority. Enough basic maintenance was done on the building to ensure it stayed standing, but its future was in doubt.



Until last year, when the city decided to restore the theater. They hired Kathy Majewska as a consultant, and now plans are being put in motion. Earlier this year, a 3D digital scan of the building was made, which will help guide architects on the process of restoring and renovating the historic theater.





In the upper balcony you can still see some of the original seats from the 1920s, which include a decorative "S" for Saenger.



We were able to spend a lot of time inside taking pictures. The theater was quiet, except for the sound of the horn from the passing freight trains, which echoed through the building like ghosts.





And here you can see some of the intricate motifs and designs, including this sword that is intwined with garland and leaves and also includes two small birds. There is also some Egyptian-themed motifs above it that are unfortunately obscured by the air conditioning ducts.



And the view from the balcony, which shows some of the damage that occurred from a leak in the roof.



There are only eight other Saenger movie-palace theaters still standing - the others are in Mobile, Pensacola, Texarkana, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Shreveport, and New Orleans. None of those theaters were ever closed or abandoned, and looking at pictures of those theaters shows the potential of what a restored Saenger in Pine Bluff could look like.



















The holes in the ceiling here were caused by water leaking in from the roof many years ago. It won't be easy, or cheap, to restore the building. But it will be worth it.







And one last picture from inside the Saenger, taken from the stage. The same stage where Harry Houdini made a horse disappear a century ago.



It's rare to see abandoned buildings in this part of the state be preserved. So it's absolutely thrilling that the Saenger may not only be saved, but to be restored to its former glory. It would be a jewel, something that the entire state could be proud of. And the money is there to save it. If Arkansas can spend a billion dollars on a prison, then it can find the money to preserve the Saenger. I can't wait to visit the Saenger is a few years and walk through here again when it is returned as it's rightful status as the "Showplace of the South."

Pine Bluff

Last week I headed down the freeway and spent the day in Pine Bluff. It's always an interesting place to visit and take pictures, with a large selection of old and historic buildings.









There has been a lot of work done on downtown Pine Bluff in the last few years. There is a fancy new library and playground, and the streets have been modernized and improved. Maybe someday soon there won't be as many of these empty and abandoned buildings here - hopefully they can be preserved and renovated.

Pine Bluff - Part 2

I was still taking pictures in downtown Pine Bluff when another train whistle shattered the quiet morning air, so I hurried back over to the train station. I had another idea for a composition there and just needed another train to pass by. So I got to the station, set up the tripod and the camera. I got the focus set just as the last car on the train (with perfect comedic timing) hurried down the tracks.



I gathered all the camera stuff back up and went back to the car. I drove around downtown, passing by this old building. It looks like it's being used as a restaurant (The Duck Inn Chateau). I'm assuming that they offer cheese and quackery on the menu.



And then a stop here as well:



After that I went by this sort of alley, which ran behind several old buildings. The backsides of the buildings were full of interesting colors, textures and details.













Then I went by Saenger Theater, which was at one time one of the most opulent buildings in the city. The theater was built in 1924 and was called the "Showplace of the South."



The theater closed in 1975, and has been left empty and alone for a few decades since. It's a beautiful old building that is full of history.



Next door to the theater is an old building which looks like it has been left abandoned for awhile. The doors and windows are covered with boards that have been painted to look like doors and windows.



And then I heard another train whistle. So I again packed everything up and made the return trip to the old train station. This time I arrived just as another freight train was passing by the station. I managed to get the camera and everything set up in time to get a few pictures, this time with the passing train reflected in a window.



There must have been some sort of traffic jam on the rail lines, since the train rolled to a stop in front of the station. The train blocked a nearby intersection, and the train crossing warning bell loudly echoed off the nearby buildings.



After having spent too much time loafing on the platform, I got back in the car and then passed by this old building.



And since the backdoor was open, I decided to have a little peek inside. The roof and ceiling of the building had all rotten and collapsed, covering the floor with debris. But standing up against the wall in bright red was this old sign.



There was some trash left on the old sign, water bottles and tin cans of food. I'm guessing that maybe some people had been hanging out here (or trying to camp), although the building was silent and empty on this visit.







One interesting detail here was that the second floor and roof of the building were both gone.



But although the actual floor of the second floor is gone, this door still stands ajar above the debris-strewn ground below.





Wonder how long ago this furniture store was open?



Nearby is the old Crown Motel, which has closed and is now boarded up. In front of the building is the old swimming pool, filled in with dirt.





And every time I'm here, I always try to drive by the old Knox House. It was built back in 1885, and still looks elegant even if it is slowly falling apart. Apparently it isn't actually abandoned, someone still lives in the back part of the house that has been sectioned off from the front. There were cars parked in the carport, and a dog in the yard.



Later on I had to quickly stop and get a picture of this rusty blue car parked in front of an old house with peeling yellow paint. The car is probably a 1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88.



And a bit later I had to make another quick stop, at this old church that had some gorgeous old stained glass windows. I tried but wasn't able to find out anything about its history.





On the edge of town, there was this interesting old house.



And one last shot from Pine Bluff, from the Arkansas Railroad Museum. The museum is a large building that was constructed for the Cotton Belt railroad in 1894. Inside are many old historic trains, including a few steam trains. Loafing in the museum is probably allowed.