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Exciting news arrives this morning regarding Humboldt County’s most beautiful old movie palace: The historic Eureka Theater, which now operates as a nonprofit, has landed a $48,870.44 T-Mobile Hometown Grant that will be used to upgrade the sound, lighting and production equipment.

Scott Adair, vice president of the Eureka Concert and Film Center’s board of directors, tells the Outpost that the theater’s grant bid was one of only 25 to be selected for funding among roughly 900 applicants.

Board President Gregg Foster said, “We are very grateful to T-Mobile for their support of the Eureka Theater. This investment will improve our sound and lighting systems and will benefit the many community groups that we serve.”

The theater, built in the elegant Streamline Moderne style (a descendant of Art Deco), opened in 1939, which was a landmark year for cinema: “The Wizard of Oz,” “Gone With the Wind,” “Stagecoach,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” … the list goes on.

“The Eureka Theater was a beautiful, ultra-modern movie theater when constructed in 1939 and was an expression of optimism and confidence in Eureka and Humboldt County as they pulled out of the Depression,” the website notes.

But the 87 intervening years haven’t been entirely kind to the theater (nor to the city and county, truth be told). After being divided into a triplex in 1978, the theater stopped showing first-run movies in 1996 amid competition from a multiplex inside the Bayshore Mall called The Movies, Eureka’s Broadway Cinemas (which opened in 1995), the State Theatres on Indianola (which didn’t last much longer) and The Minor and Arcata theaters.

The once-gleamingly modern movie palace has suffered some wear and tear, but its volunteer committees and a board of directors have worked hard in recent years to pursue funding opportunities while hosting a wide array of events, including live music performances, classic film screenings, fundraisers and community events.

“The Eureka Theater board is embarking on an ambitious program of improvements to make the dream of a restored and vibrant community gathering place a reality,” Foster said, adding, ” Stay tuned for more good news!”

Below is some more information about the T-Mobile Hometown Grant program, which will end after just one more round of funding. (Deadline to apply is March 31; click the link for details.)

T-Mobile today announced the latest 25 Hometown Grants recipients, including, for the first time, a town in North Dakota. With the latest and second-to-last round, T-Mobile has invested more than $21.5 million in grants to 475 small towns and rural communities across 49 states and Puerto Rico over the last four years.

Since Hometown Grants started in April 2021, the program has impacted 2.8 million people and created nearly 2,700 jobs. With up to $50,000 awarded per town, communities have used the funding on projects that strengthen communities and improve lives, with this round including a new STEM initiative for students, a revitalized historic school building and transforming a barn into a community hub.  

“Nearly five years ago, we launched this program to invest in small towns with big ideas and help turn local vision into meaningful impact,” said Jon Freier, Chief Operating Officer, T-Mobile. “Across 475 communities, thousands have come together to create positive change, contributing nearly 300,000 volunteer hours and proving what’s possible when heart and community pride lead the way.”