Sierra Community Theatre
210 E. State Street,
Jefferson,
IA
50129
210 E. State Street,
Jefferson,
IA
50129
1 person
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Sierra Commumity Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fridley Theatres, Pioneer Theater Corp.
Architects: Jack J. Liebenberg
Firms: Liebenberg and Kaplan
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Previous Names: Head's Opera House, Majestic Theatre. Strand Theatre, Iowa Theatre, Sierra Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
515.386.3176
Nearby Theaters
Built as a Masonic Lodge and opened on December 17, 1884 as Head’s Opera House. On March 10, 1920 it was renamed Majestic Theatre, becoming a full-time movie theatre. On November 25, 1925 it was renamed Strand Theatre.
On March 28, 1931 it was remodeled to the plans of architectural firm Liebenberg & Kaplan and became the Iowa Theatre screening Claudette Colbert in “Honor Among Thieves”. It was operated by Finkelstein Theatres with seating listed at the time of 300. In October 1945 it fell under the Pioneer Theatres banner and then in March 1974 Fridley Theatres took over with a complete remodel. It was operated by Fridley Theatres. On March 27, 1974 it was renamed Sierra Theatre with a single screen playing first run attractions until October 2012. It is now run by volunteers as the Sierra Community Theatre.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
Don’t like the placement of the Marquee. It was called also in the seventies a Fridley-Luxury Theatre.Must have dropped the “Luxury”.
Fridley dropped it in 2012. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SierraCommunityTheatre
The NRHP registration form for the Jefferson Square Historic District reveals that the Sierra Theatre was built in 1884 as Head’s Opera House, and was dedicated on December 17 that year. The theater was on the ground floor and a Masonic hall was upstairs. In 1914, the Masons bought the entire building.
The theater was extensively remodeled in 1916, as noted in the December 23 issue of The Moving Picture World, which said that iron columns had been removed and replaced by girders, and heating upgraded from wood stoves to a steam plant. Four boxes had been added, the stage had been remodeled, and new opera chairs installed. The opening program at the renovated house was Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation.
This is no longer operated by Fridley Theatres. It is called the Sierra Community Theatre and is operated on a volunteer basis by the Community. They don’t have a website they use facebook.
Website: http://www.sierracommunitytheatre.org/?r=no
The Facts: The 251 seat Sierra Community Theatre is headed by a board of directors who are volunteers from the community. This board created the non-profit 501c3, “Sierra Community Theatre”.
The day to day is currently ran by the manager who stayed after the switch from Fridley Theatres on November 2nd, 2012. There have been at least two paid staff ever since.
After the switch we showed a film for the weekend in 35mm. We upgraded to digital projection during the week of November 5th, 2012. This conversion was thanks to the many wonderful sponsors from our community who contributed to our “See You at the Movies” capital campaign.
We currently have 7.1 surround sound, RealD 3D, and USL Assisted Listening and Closed Captioning. We continue to play first run films.
If you have any other questions about us please contact us via our website at www.sierracommunitytheatre.org
Link about Jefferson theatres.
http://carrollspaper.com/Content/Local-News-Archive/Local-News/Article/Programs-to-spotlight-movie-theaters-Grand-Junction-history/1/1/27494
In the early 90’s when I lived in Jefferson and was building the Niichi plant I remember this being a family owned theater by a local family. They ran movies Fri, Sat, Sun. and had a video rental place downstairs and the son ran a youth dance club upstairs while he was in college.
The Head’s Opera House was actually renamed the Iowa Theatre after its March 1931 remodeling. It was renamed the Iowa Theatre on March 28, 1931 reopening with Claudette Colbert in “Honor Among Lovers” along with a Strange As It Seems short, a Grantland Rice Sportlight, and an unknown cartoon.
After World War II died, the Pioneer Theatres chain took over both the Iowa Theatre and the Howard Theatre in October 1945 following the chain’s 15th anniversary.
The Iowa Theatre was remodeled in March 1974 but was still open at the time. On March 27, 1974, it was renamed the Sierra Theatre, screening Walt Disney’s “Robin Hood” as its first film under the Sierra name.
The Masonic Lodge was established on June 7, 1861. This building was built by Albert Head in 1884 becoming the Jefferson Masonic and Opera House (aka Head’s Opera House on the bottom floor opening December 17, 1884 and the Jefferson Masonic Lodge on the top floor). Youngclaus & Huslebus took the opera house venue changing its name to the Majestic Theatre - aka “The Temple of the Silent Art” as a full-time movie house on March 10, 1920. Under new operator Ernest Michael, it became the Strand Theatre - still aka “The Temple of Silent Art” on November 4,1925.
Michael sold his interest in the Strand and the State theaters to the Finkelsteins' Pioneer Theatres of Minneapolis. They signed a twenty-year leasing agreement with the Masonic folks that called for extensive remodeling into an improved sound venue in 1931. That occurred as the renamed Iowa Theatre on March 28, 1931. The Iowa closed, technically, at the end of its lease on February 28, 1974 with “Chariots of the Gods?”
Fridley Theatres had already agreed to take on the venue and, after a refresh, relaunched as the Sierra Theatre on on March 22, 1974 with “Man of the East.” As the 15-year leasing period was nearing, Fridley bought the building outright from the Masons after 103 years of Masonic ownership effective in May of 1987. Fridley added home video to the operation as Sierra Home Video. In April of 2009, Fridley downgraded the theater to weekends only with the video store open 7 days a week.
In October of 2012, Fridley transferred operation to a nonprofit organization in a “last ditch” effort to keep the theatre viable and open. That worked as the venue has continued to be a vibrant part of the community more than 140 years after opening.