Jefferson Theatre

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Back in 1927, the Jefferson Amusement Company set out to build something Beaumont wouldn't soon forget. And friend, they delivered.

What rose up in downtown Beaumont wasn't just a theatre. It was a statement. The Jefferson Amusement Company handed the design work to Emile Weil, Inc., an architectural firm out of New Orleans, and those folks had vision.

What they drew up and what got built was the kind of place that made you stand a little straighter just walking through the door. Marble staircases. Spanish-style decoration throughout the interior.

Fine materials and fine workmanship at every turn. This wasn't a building that whispered at you. It announced itself.

And it didn't stop at motion pictures, though it showed those too. The Jefferson Theatre brought in dramatic stage productions, vaudeville shows, all manner of live entertainment. Beaumont had itself a genuine landmark, right there in the heart of downtown, and it knew it.

Sometimes a building comes along that a city just claims as its own from the very first day, and that's exactly what happened here. The Jefferson Theatre became one of those places people measure other places against. Still does.

What the marker says

Built in 1927 by the Jefferson Amusement Company, this theatre quickly became a landmark in downtown Beaumont. Emile Weil, Inc., a New Orleans architectural firm, designed the structure. The interior is a showcase of fine materials and workmanship, with marble staircases and Spanish-style decoration. In addition to motion pictures, the Jefferson Theatre featured dramatic stage productions, vaudeville shows, and other live entertainment. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978