The Grand Theatre is part of a complex of historic buildings in

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, w ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

that was originally owned by the fraternal organization

Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political, non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Odd Fellows, Order ...

, and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

(NRHP) as the Chemeketa Lodge No. 1, Odd Fellows Buildings. The theater building is also known as the I.O.O.F. Temple. The Grand Theatre was built as a lodge hall and

opera house An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera. Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institut ...

by the Oddfellows in 1900, and was designed by the architectural firm of Pugh & Gray. The Julius Grau Opera Company performed at the grand opening on November 29, 1900. An annex containing a hotel and bus terminal and designed by architect Morris Whitehouse was built in 1921. The two former I.O.O.F. buildings were added to the NRHP in 1988. The buildings currently hold retail businesses, offices, and a ballroom with other facilities that are rented for special events and even lends itself as a film and music venue.
Enlightened Theatrics
also performs several Broadway style live performances each year at the Grand Theatre. The Grand Theatre has main floor and balcony seating. Th
Film Daily Yearbook of 1947
listed the Grand Theatre having 744 seats. Over the years, the seating capacity has been reduced to 402 seats. There are 15 rows on the main floor with 288 seats and 5 rows in the balcony with 114 seats.

References

External links

Chemeketa Lodge No. 1, Oddfellows
from Salem Online History

history and images from Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society
Grand Ballroom
(official website of building owners)

* with detailed description and history of the buildings Historic Grand Theatre Odd Fellows buildings in Oregon Historic Grand Theatre Historic Grand Theatre 1900 establishments in Oregon Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon Historic district contributing properties in Oregon {{Oregon-NRHP-stub

See also

References

External links