In 1947, Houston opened a 700-seat Art Deco theater; 79 years later, $2.8M was raised to save it

The Garden Oaks Theater opened in 1947 as a 700-plus-seat Art Deco cinema and is now the focus of a preservation effort (Image Credit: Arthouse Houston) For generations of Houston residents, the Garden Oaks Theater was more than a place to watch a movie. Opened in 1947, the Art Deco-style cinema became part of the character of the Garden Oaks and Independence Heights area, eventually serving the community for decades before being converted into a church. Nearly eight decades after its opening, the building found itself facing a very different future. Its new owner had planned to demolish the property, putting one of Houston's remaining historic cinemas at risk. But instead of allowing the theater to disappear, a local preservation campaign brought together residents, donors and filmmakers to try to reclaim the site. According to Arthouse Houston, it had raised more than $2.8 million through its community campaign and was moving forward with plans to purchase the property and transform it into an arts and film center.A theater from 1947The Garden Oaks Theater opened its doors in 1947, during the postwar period when neighbourhood movie theaters were important gathering places across ...