Rebirth of The Pines Theater, Lufkin, Texas. (original) (raw)

Built on First Street in downtown Lufkinin 1925, here is how the Moderne, single-screen Pines Theater appeared in July 2006:

Looking north, down First Street, January 2007:

And then suddenly, one morning in April 2007, the city of Lufkinawoke to find it in this condition:

No one is entirely sure what happened, but it was theorized an 18-wheeler or delivery truck somehow crashed in to it. It would remain in this state for two years.By May 2008, I'd pretty much given up on it ever being repaired.

I'd expected it to continue going down, but I was stunned (I literally gasped) to see it like this a year later, April 2009:

Now, to be honest, I'd heard rumors a restoration by the City of Lufkinwas underway, but this looked like more of a dismantling, which it was. But instead of destroying, the removed neon and giant green glass, inlaid fleur-de-lis was all actually being refurbished:

What's old is new again. In fact, it's downright shiny.