HOME

Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas

Custom Search

NEW : : TEXAS TOWNS : : GHOST TOWNS : : COUNTIES : : TOPICS : : HISTORY/OPINION : : ARCHITECTURE : : IMAGES : : ARCHIVE : : SITE MAP

Texas Architecture

Texas | Architecture | Theatres

Drive-by Architecture

THE YUCCA THEATRE
C. 1929

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark

208 N Colorado St.
Midland, Texas

Architects: Wyatt C. Hedrick and Co.

Book Hotel Here > Midland Hotels

The Yucca Theatre
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, December 2009

By Johnny Stucco

Oilman (and former Montana Senator) T. S. Hogan announced the construction of the Yucca in 1927 and it opened in 1929. Despite the Great Depression, the theater did well - thanks to an entertainment-starved population.

The Yucca was designed to complement the Petroleum Building - also built by Hedrick. The style of the foyer's façade is Gothic, while the interior was done in the (then popular) Egyptian style. The interior was designed by H. B. Layman of New York.

The popularity of Egyptian decoration was attributed to a world-wide fascination with things Egyptian in the 20s after the discovery of the Tomb of King Tut just a few years before. The popularity of Egyptian winged suns and scarabs even extended to tombstones and funereal monuments.

© John Troesser

Historical Marker:

The Yucca Theatre

Attracted by Midland's growing economy and the rapid development of the area's petroleum industry, T.S. Hogan announced plans for the construction of this facility in 1927. An oilman and former Montana senator, Hogan saw the need for a multi-purpose theatre to serve the growing population of the permian basin. He commissioned noted Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick to design the structure. The result was an elaborate facade with intricate Gothic revival detailing. The interior was designed by H. B. Layman of New York and features characteristics of the Egyptian revival style.

The Yucca Theatre opened on December 5, 1929, after two years of construction. The premier included a screening of the Hollywood musical "Rio Rita" and a musical comedy revue by the jubilee players of New York City.

The versatility of the building's design made the Yucca Theatre suitable for a variety of activities. Despite the 1930s economic depression, it remained a popular place for traveling vaudeville shows, operas, it serves as a reminder of Midland's early growth as a center of the petroleum industry.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1981.