By Reader Staff
The Foundation for the Rex Theater has been awarded a $15,000 grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with a matching grant from the Marcus Anderson Family Foundation. The grants will be used to develop a master plan for the rehabilitation of the historic theater.
The Rex Theater was part of a bustling Priest River downtown and is on the national historic register.
The theater opened in 1923 with the debut of screen star Nell Shipman’s film The Grub Stake. Boasting state-of-the-art equipment to feature silent films, the theater offered viewers an experience similar to the movie palaces in bigger cities. By the end of the 1920s, the Rex made the transition to talkies and entertained several generations of Priest River audiences, operating through the 1950s under the name Roxy. The theater is annexed to the Beardmore Building, which was renovated to award-winning LEED standards by owner and great-grandson of Charles Beardmore, Brian Runberg.
Founded in 2019 by Priest River bandmates Chad Summers, Gary Stewart and Geoff Rusho, the Foundation for the Rex Theater has been cleaning and preparing the theater for rehabilitation while also submitting for grant support. The funded master plan will be guided by architectural, structural and technical consultants to assist Rex Theater board members and other stakeholders in defining and documenting a vision for rehabilitating and operating the historic theater. Architect Dawn Bushnaq will lead the effort.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a leading funder in the historic preservation movement, awarding more than $13 million to organizations across the country last year. Established in 1969, National Trust Preservation Funds encourage preservation at the local level, supporting nonprofit organizations and public agencies by providing seed money for preservation projects.
“Organizations like the Foundation for the Rex Theater help to ensure that communities all across the United States retain their unique sense of place,” stated Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We are honored to provide a grant to the Foundation of the Rex Theater, which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared national heritage.”
The Marcus Anderson Family Foundation is a self-funded, Idaho-based nonprofit with an attention to community involvement and improvement.
“We are committed to fostering growth and providing resources where they are needed most,” stated foundation President Marcus Anderson. “Our foundation remains dedicated to making a lasting impact. We are honored to uplift and strengthen the Priest River community, and those we serve.”
The Foundation for the Rex Theater will post updated information and photos at rextheater.org. For more information about the National Trust for Historic Preservation, go to SavingPlaces.org. To learn about the mission of the Marcus Anderson Family Foundation, visit marcusandersonfamilyfoundation.org
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