Enean Theatre

325 E. 10th Street,
Pittsburg, CA 94565

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on June 24, 2024 at 2:45 pm

The actual opening date is June 5, 1935.

m00se1111
m00se1111 on August 12, 2023 at 3:33 pm

A 4-alarm fire erupted at the historic Enean Theater in Pittsburg, creating chaos and a challenging scenario for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) firefighters, who responded swiftly to the emergency.

https://hoodline.com/2023/08/historic-enean-theater-ablaze-pittsburg-firefighters-battle-fierce-4-alarm-fire/

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on April 2, 2023 at 5:05 pm

Boxoffice, May 8, 1948: “SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. - Sheriff’s deputies recovered a battered safe from the shallows of San Pablo bay recently. It was the safe which had been stolen several months earlier from the Enean Theatre in Pittsburg.”

robertcampbell
robertcampbell on August 15, 2020 at 6:44 pm

Went to this theater when I was a little kid. If you sat in the middle of the auditorium and looked straight up at the ceiling, it looked like a upside down bug with this gold glowing body with the legs stretched to the walls lol. If I remember right the walls had zebras on their hind legs ready to stomp on a soldier ahead of it holding a spear and above the arch was a outline of a rose. Wonder what it looks like inside today.

wurl240
wurl240 on March 4, 2015 at 4:23 pm

City of Pittsburg owns the building. Stripped of seats and furnishings, the theatre had the main floor levelled for warehouse use. Proscenium, balcony, lobby and lounge areas are all there—-awaiting reuse. It would make a great dance floor for the younger set, with a parking lot next door. The neon and bulb lit deco ceiling lighting along with side wall murals should be fabulous once restored. The lobby has a circular wall mural replete with the Enea family crest. The city has repaired the roof and painted the exterior in repulsive beige. Anyone got a few million to revive this place…?

markrpope
markrpope on November 12, 2014 at 10:39 pm

the marquee is now gone

markrpope
markrpope on November 12, 2014 at 10:25 pm

Just toured it today. pretty sad shape with pigeons roosting in it. Being used by city fir storage. Since they ran out if money before putting in balcony seats in California Theater I don’t see the city restoring this before it is too late. All seats are gone and raked floor is now level concrete

Mikeyisirish
Mikeyisirish on June 4, 2014 at 7:16 am

Anyone know the status of this theatre?

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 12, 2009 at 3:06 pm

This is from the Modesto Bee, 11/23/40:

PITTSBURG, Nov. 23-Fire of undetermined origin swept through the new Enean Theater yesterday, causing damage estimated at more than $25,000. The flames damaged the theater balcony and ceiling and melted sound transcription records. The playhouse was constructed five years ago at a cost of $150,000.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 11, 2009 at 6:02 pm

It looks like Pittsburg wants to allocate 15 million of its stimulus money to renovate the Enean:
http://tinyurl.com/bbhrb5

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on August 25, 2008 at 5:36 pm

Plans for the Enean Theatre, by architect F. Frederic Amandes, were announced in the March, 1936, issue of Architect & Engineer magazine.

That same year, Amandes was the architect for remodelings of the Strand Theatre in Alameda, the Egyptian Theatre on San Francisco’s Market Street (listed at CT as the Guild Theatre), and the former T&D Theatre in Richmond, which became the Fox Theatre and then the United Artists Theatre.

Patsy
Patsy on October 16, 2007 at 10:03 am

Jamie: Thanks for your post and explanation.

eneantheater
eneantheater on October 15, 2007 at 8:56 pm

Patsy, I was the owner of what your are calling an “unauthorized foreign car body repair shop” . Let me clear your confusion . I bought the theater as an existing auto repair facility back in 1990 ,when it was a Volkswagen wrecking yard. I cleaned and restore many parts of it installed new roof . Some of the pictures are posted by me , in fact that old boat is mine , the City of Pittsburg used Eminent Domain Power to purchase the building from me. The remarkable part about it is that I saved the place from being demolished and turned in to a new office building site.
I spent 15 years of my life working to preserve this palace and my “unauthorized repair shop” helped pay for it. The Eminent Domain story is long an painful but is the past.
Best Regards
Jaime F. Penuela

Patsy
Patsy on April 13, 2007 at 4:09 am

Interesting article as I always enjoy reading about neglected theatres and seeing what they looked like in their heyday and what they should still look like rather than the way they become due to so many reasons. It sounds like the City of Pittsburg is ‘stepping up to the plate’ to help which is wonderful. Keep us posted on this one. Thanks.

tomdelay
tomdelay on April 10, 2007 at 6:32 pm

Point of fact, the organ from the Cal Theatre Pittsburg has been purchased by a determined organ preservationist. This person has a proven track record for quality restoration work. It would be great if the original Morton organ could go back to the Cal someday—but that is a long way off.

Patsy
Patsy on February 14, 2007 at 6:06 am

Lost Memory: I just went to look at the Enean after learning about the other Pittsburg CA theatre, the California. They are both in need of TLC so any updated information would be interesting to learn. The California was brought to my attention in regards to their former organ that is now for sale and needs restoration by a local church in that area. As I did more research I found my way to the Enean and it’s Pittsburg plight. The fact that some unauthorizied foreign car body repair shop was using the former theatre space is remarkable to me!

LloydPrator
LloydPrator on December 16, 2005 at 10:32 am

I think that the theatre was owned by the Enea family, who also owned a dairy in Antioch where I grew up. I remember attending that theatre when US Steel, which had a plant in Pittsburg, rented it to show a movie on industrial safety to its employees and their families. I remember the theatre being in good condition, with a lot or ornate gilded decoration in the interior. There were two more theatres in Pittsburg, the California down on Railroad Avenue and the Vogue, out near the SP train station. In Antioch, there were three, the Stamm, the El Campanile and the Casino. The Casino did a turn as a flea market in the 70s; the El Campanile is open
again and being restored. The new management seems interested and competent.

Lloyd Prator

cosmic
cosmic on September 30, 2005 at 1:51 pm

Another view of The Enean Theatre and California Theatre in Pittsburg, California. Photos taken; July 1998.
Top photo; Enean Theatre, bottom photo; California Theatre.

View link

R.Soliz
Antioch, Ca