Bay Theatre
1206 Lincoln Avenue,
Alameda,
CA
94501
1206 Lincoln Avenue,
Alameda,
CA
94501
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Lincoln Theatre, Studio Theatre, Bay Station Theatre
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An Alameda neighborhood theatre with various names and management, starting with R.C. Fendon, and continuing with Bay Station Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, Studio Theatre, and Bay Theatre.
The Bay Theatre appears to be a relic of the nickelodeon era, and opened in 1915. It is a long and narrow building sandwiched between other early Twentieth century commercial structures. It is rather far removed from the cluster of theatres in Alameda’s main downtown to the South, and is comfortably far from the site of the Neptune Theatre at the extreme North end of Alameda to have likely served its local neighborhood audience for many years.
There is a simple Neo-Classical style cornice atop the otherwise plain one story-façade. A trapezoidal marquee canopy structure and soffit still remain from the 1930’s or later, but there has long been a canvas awning attached above the soffit where there was once a marquee. Below the overhang is a plain, conventional retail entrance. It is listed in the 1941-1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook as the Lincoln Theatre (Closed), and in the 1949-1951 Film Daily Yearbooks as operating as the Bay Theatre in those years. Presumably it had been operating throughout decades before this.
It is now the Faith Bible Church.
Contributed by
Garrett Murphy, Gary Parks
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
This is now a church.
I don’t think it’s a church any longer. This is a yoga place:
Alameda Branch of Bikrams
1206 Lincoln Ave
Alameda, CA 94501
In the Google photo above, you can see the little facade of this theatre, with cornice at the top. The trapezoidal frame of the marquee can still be seen in use, reduced to being the support structure for an awning.
The Bay Station Theatre is listed at 1206 Lincoln in the 1916 Polk-Husted Oakland-Berkeley-Alameda city directory. The directory also lists a Lincoln Theatre, with the location given as Lincoln av west of Bay. As Lincoln is listed here as an aka for the Bay Station, I don’t know if that means that this theater was listed in the directory twice that year under two different names, or if they were two different theaters.
The October 30, 1915 issue of Moving Picture World has an item datelined Alameda saying “[t]he Bay Station theater has been renovated throughout and several new features added.”
The 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory does not list a theater at this address, which makes 1915 the most likely opening year for this house.
https://www.fbcoalameda.org/