Orpheum Theater

The Orpheum Theater of Bisbee, Arizona was opened on July 24, 1907, designed by local architect Fred C. Hurst as an associate of the El Paso architectural firm of Trost & Trost. Period newspaper narratives describing its construction and planning call the building the Orpheum and the Bisbee Opera House Interchangeably, while a couple of historical sources refer to it as the Grand Theater (including the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum). It was built by the Bisbee Opera House Company, which had been previously incorporated with the purpose of erecting the structure. Its location was at the mouth of Brewery Gulch, detailed by one of the photographs in the gallery below. The design of the building indicates that the plans were drawn by architect Hurst, the style not representative of a Trost design; nevertheless Trost & Trost had final approval status, as per the Bisbee Daily Review of 02/09/1907.

The building was demolished long ago; all mentions of the Orpheum Theater disappear from local newspapers in around 1919. A small park occupies the location today.

Photographs courtesy of Cinema Treasures at http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/41491

— Mark Stone

Other Names:
Type: Theater
Construction Date: Jan 1, 1907
Address: Brewery Avenue & Review Alley, Bisbee, AZ, USA
Condition: Demolished