The Simon Theatre is a

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

Brenham Brenham ( ) is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, United States, with a population of 17,369 according to the 2020 U.S. census. It is the county seat of Washington County. Washington County is known as the "Birthplace of Texas, ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. It was built by James Simon, designed by

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Alfred C. Finn Alfred Charles Finn (July 2, 1883 – June 26, 1964) was an American architect. He started in the profession with no formal training in 1904 as an apprentice for Sanguinet & Staats. He worked in their offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston. H ...

, and constructed in 1925.A Brief History of the Simon Theatre - Brenham, Texas
Cinema Treasures , Simon Theatre
/ref> For many decades the Simon Theatre provided the community with a setting for theatrical performances,

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

acts,

ballroom dance Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. ...

s, special events and movies.

Recognition

The Simon Theatre is recognized by The League of Historic American Theatres as a Texas Historic Theatre,League of Historic American Theatres – Theatre Inventory
and the Architecture Division of the

Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic La ...

has listed it as an Endangered Historic Property.Texas Historical Commission, Architecture Division: An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1981-1999
/ref> The Brenham Main Street Historical Preservation, an historical preservation project, is creating a downtown visitor center within the building. The Simon Theatre is part of the Brenham Downtown Historic District, an historical landmark on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

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Simon Center

The Simon Theatre is currently under renovations and will be renamed the Simon Center. "Save our Simon" is an organization dedicated to the preservation of the Simon Theatre. On September 28, 2007, the organization raised $1.2 million for the renovation of the Simon Theatre.Supporters raise $1.2 million for ‘Save the Simon’
Brenham Banner Press On February 22, 2007, the chairman of the

, John Nau, stated that the Simon Center in downtown Brenham would restore a historic building and be, "a tremendous economic development investment for the community." The plans include refurbishing the 83-year-old theater and ballroom so that it may be used as a convention center and visitors center.Historical Commission chairman lauds restoration project
Brenham Banner Press The "Save Our Simon reached the $2 million mark at the end of 2008 and has raised $2.3 million so far."Simon Center phase be completed on September
/ref> "Dallas architecture ArchiTexas is overseeing the design of the theater. The company has done restorations of courthouses and other old theaters in Texas." Donna Cummins - Save Our Simon administrator stated.

References

{{Washington County, Texas

Simon Theatre The Simon Theatre is a theater in Brenham, Texas. It was built by James Simon, designed by Houston architect Alfred C. Finn, and constructed in 1925.

Theatres in Texas History of Brenham, Texas Buildings and structures in Brenham, Texas 1925 establishments in Texas Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Texas

Recognition

Simon Center

See also

References