Officials from the Holland Theatre announced Thursday, Sept. 11, that the historic Bellefontaine locale has been selected as one of three finalists in the running for the Historic Theatre of the Year award, as presented by Heritage Ohio.
Each year, Heritage Ohio, the state-wide Main Street coordinating agency under Main Street America, honors the people, places and projects that exemplify a commitment to growth through preservation and revitalization.
The Historic Theatre of the Year is presented to the historic theater, opera house or cinema which embodies the spirit of preservation. Nominees were judged for maintained integrity or completed restoration projects, active performance or screenings and community engagement.
This year, the award ceremony is set for Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
at the Canton Palace Theatre, as part of the Heritage Ohio Annual Conference in downtown Canton. The award ceremony is free and open to the public.
Heritage Ohio promotes economic growth through the preservation and revitalization of downtowns and neighborhoods across Ohio. Heritage Ohio is the designated statewide Ohio preservation partnership with Main Street America. Through saving the places that matter, we can build community and live better.
July 26, the Holland Theatre lit its magnificent new marquee for an enthusiastic crowd, a celebratory evening that brought together numerous community members and generous donors, as previously detailed in the Examiner.
The theater’s new marquee restores the original look to the building when first it opened in 1931, with modern LED technology. 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.
The marquee project is the latest among extensive historic restoration efforts for the Holland Theatre that have taken shape over the last 25 years.
Learn more about the Heritage Ohio annual conference at www.heritageohioconference.com. More information on Heritage Ohio
can be found by visiting www.heritageohio.org.
