Pacific Building

The Pacific Building is a historic commercial structure at 542 State Street in Salem, Oregon, United States. It was originally constructed in 1926 as the Bligh Building for owner Frank D. Bligh, covering a quarter of a city block. At the time of its completion, the building contained twelve storefronts and thirty-five rooms designed for offices, along with an attached theater known as the New Bligh Capitol Theater, which seated 1,200 people. The theater was built for vaudeville performances and featured a brightly lit marquee constructed of stained glass in the shape of the dome of the second Oregon State Capitol building, which was destroyed in a 1935 fire. The theater also housed a 3-manual, 8-rank "Mighty Wurlitzer" pipe organ installed in 1926. Over the decades, the Capitol Theater transitioned from vaudeville to motion pictures. By 1952 the distinctive glass dome marquee had been replaced. By the 1980s, it was one of only two pre-World War II theaters remaining in downtown Salem, which had once hosted as many as eight. Like its neighbor, the Elsinore Theatre, the Capitol declined to a second-run movie house and was closed in 1990. The theater was demolished in May or June 2000 due to structural decay, and its location is now a parking lot. However, the adjoining office and retail portion of the original building remains standing and is currently known as the Pacific Building. The Pacific Building is a contributing property of the Salem Downtown State Street-Commercial Street Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building's theater organ had a notable afterlife: after its 1926 installation, it was moved in 1941 to Seattle's Civic Ice Arena, then in 1964–65 to the Seattle Center Food Circus. It was sold at auction in 1976 and is currently installed in a private home in Washington, combined with parts from Portland's Majestic/United Artists Theatre organ to make a 3-manual, 18-rank Wurlitzer. The Pacific Building thus represents a surviving fragment of Salem's early twentieth-century commercial and entertainment architecture.

The Pacific Building, originally known as the Bligh Building, was constructed in 1926 at 542 State Street in Salem, Oregon, for owner Frank D. Bligh. The building covered a quarter of a block and included twelve storefronts and thirty-five rooms designed for offices. Attached to it was the New Bligh Capitol Theater, a 1,200-seat venue built for vaudeville performances. The theater's brightly lit marquee was constructed of stained glass in the shape of the dome of the second Oregon State Capitol building, which was destroyed in a 1935 fire. A 3-manual, 8-rank "Mighty Wurlitzer" theatre organ was installed in the theater in 1926. Frank D. Bligh owned several theaters in Salem, including the original Bligh Theater built in 1912 and closed in 1927. For a time he also owned the Klinger Grand Theater, which he renamed Bligh Theater. The Capitol Theater itself transitioned from vaudeville to motion pictures over the years. By 1952, the distinctive glass dome marquee had been replaced. By the 1980s, the Capitol was one of only two pre-World War II theaters remaining in downtown Salem, which had once hosted as many as eight. Like its neighbor, the Elsinore Theatre, the Capitol declined to a second-run movie house and was closed in 1990. The theater was demolished in May or June 2000 because of structural decay, and its location is now a parking lot. However, the adjoining office and retail space remains standing. This retail building, known historically as the Bligh Building and currently as the Pacific Building, is a contributing property of the Salem Downtown State Street-Commercial Street Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater's Wurlitzer organ had a notable afterlife. After its 1926 installation, it was moved in 1941 to Seattle's Civic Ice Arena. In 1964–65, it was moved to the Seattle Center Food Circus. It was sold at auction in 1976 and is currently installed in a private home in Washington, combined with parts from Portland's Majestic/United Artists Theatre organ to make a 3-manual, 18-rank Wurlitzer.

• 2000

  Capitol Theater demolished in May/June due to structural decay; retail portion remains as the Pacific Building.

• 1990

  Capitol Theater closed after declining to a second-run movie house.

• 1976

  The organ sold at auction and later installed in a private home in Washington.

• 1964

  The organ moved to the Seattle Center Food Circus (1964–65).

• 1952

  The glass dome marquee had been replaced.

• 1941

  The theater's Wurlitzer organ moved to Seattle's Civic Ice Arena.

• 1926

  Bligh Building constructed for Frank D. Bligh, including the New Bligh Capitol Theater with 1,200 seats and a 3/8 Wurlitzer organ.

Historic contributing property within the Salem Downtown State Street-Commercial Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Product categories. Office space · Retail storefronts · Historic commercial building

1. 1Pacific Building - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Pacific Building (Salem, Oregon) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org