Crews from Wagner Electric Sign Co. of Elyria braved the hot and humid conditions Thursday morning, June 26, to hoist the new vertical blade into place at the Holland Theatre, changing up the landscape in downtown Bellefontaine. The crew has been hard at work this week, prepping the site for the second portion of the theater’s new marquee, which will restore the original look to the building when first it opened in 1931, with modern LED technology. The approximately 33-foot-long vertical blade contains 1,200 light bulbs, Holland Theatre board member Mike Suman previously noted. The installation of the first portion of the marquee was completed April 30. A light up the marquee celebration event will be staged at a later date to commemorate this chapter in the theater’s history and to thank the community for their generous support. The Holland raised $440,000 in local donations for this project, and pledges were matched by a $220,000 grant from the Jeffris Family Foundation. The original marquee was a striking feature of the theater when it opened. The blade was removed in the 1950s due to city code changes, and the rest of the marquee was removed in the 1960s due to street expansion and traffic. (EXAMINER PHOTOS | Mandy Loehr)
