Mulkey receives state recognition

The Mulkey Theatre was named to the list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places during an announcement at the State Capitol by Preservation Texas Wednesday morning.

The high profile designation had been sought by the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation and the Mulkey Advisory Committee as a way to raise awareness about the need to save the historic theatre.

Mulkey Advisory Committee Chair MaryRuth Bishop said the announcement draws attention to the importance of old theatres and to the work of saving the Mulkey.
“It shows the value put on the Mulkey not just by us in Clarendon but by others in Texas,” Bishop said. “It really is priceless in a way, and it will help others see the importance of giving to save the Mulkey and make it a vital part of our community.”

Committee member Ashlee Estlack agreed with Bishop and said she thinks the recognition will energize the project.

“We believe that this recognition on the state level will put the effort to ‘Bring Back the Mulkey’ into overdrive,” Estlack said.

Both Bishop and Estlack said Wednesday’s announcement was exciting both personally and for the community.

Estlack and her husband, Roger, who is on the Clarendon EDC Board, attended Wednesday’s announcement at the State Capitol and unveiled the Mulkey project to media representatives there.

Wes Reeves, a Preservation Texas board member from Amarillo, said designation on the Most Endangered list will bring a lot of attention to Clarendon in general and to the Mulkey in particular.

“This is statewide advertising for what Clarendon is doing with the theatre as well as for the community’s development effort,” Reeves said. “It says that Clarendon is not only surviving but wanting to thrive.”

Reeves has been involved with Preservation Texas for six years through the Most Endangered Places list and has been working to get attention for sites in the Panhandle.
“Preservation Texas is very appreciative of Clarendon folks for taking time to make this nomination,” Reeves said. “It shows the rest of the state that there are a lot of interesting places in the Panhandle. This puts Clarendon on the map as a place that is interested in preserving its past.”

The designation also opens up an entire network of experts to help with the ‘Bring Back the Mulkey’ effort, Reeves said, and it also tends to legitimize fundraising efforts and give those efforts a boost.

Reeves said many community theatres have been knocked down but said they add a lot to the community when they are saved, a comment that was echoed in Austin.

“The Mulkey Theatre represents one of preservationists’ continuing concerns, the neglect and deterioration of historic theaters in small towns,” said Jim Ray, president of Preservation Texas, Inc., a statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Theaters were community meeting places. Most of them were landmarks in the community. When these theaters die they take with them not only the history of the town but significant opportunities for community revitalization.”

“Like the other structures on our 2011 endangered list, the Mulkey Theatre reflects the increasing awareness across our state of the importance of preserving structures that have played important roles in the history of our state,” Ray said. “By calling attention to them now, we want to encourage residents to act while there’s still time.”

The Texas’ Most Endangered Places program is at its heart a grassroots effort designed to elevate the cause of historic preservation and to increase the capacity of local groups and individuals to preserve the historic resources in their communities.

Located on 108 South Kearney Street, the Mulkey Theatre first opened its doors on February 13, 1946. For the next four decades it remained an important cultural center for the city and surrounding area of Clarendon. The Mulkey Theatre is a 1946 Streamline Modern Style building and is located between two of downtown’s oldest buildings.

The theatre closed in 1986 and since then has deteriorated due to harsh weather and time. Pieces of the marquee and a poster frame have fallen off the façade. Most of the neon lighting has been destroyed due to vandalism and hail damage. Poor drainage at the rear of the building has caused settling in the foundation and large cracks in the
walls.

In the late 1990s, an unsuccessful effort to re-open the theatre resulted in the loss of the original seats, equipment, and the movie screen.

In 2008, the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation purchased the building with the hope of rehabilitating and re-opening the theatre. Recently, the roof has been replaced to prevent further deterioration of the building. Unfortunately, further funds to revitalize the building are limited. It is believed that saving the Mulkey Theatre will protect the city’s heritage and will boost the economic vitality of the community.

Since December nearly $6,000 has been raised from private donations to help “Bring Back the Mulkey.” For details on how you can donate to the effort, visit www.clarendonedc.org or search for “Mulkey Theatre” on Facebook. Donations can be mailed payable to Donley County Historical Commission, PO Box 905, Clarendon, TX 79226.

Preservation Texas named its first list of endangered historic sites in 2004.
For several sites, inclusion on the list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places has resulted in energized conservation efforts, commitments for restoration, and additional funding.

The 2011 list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places also includes: the Blas Herrera Ranch, San Antonio, Bexar County; the Duval County Courthouse, San Diego, Duval County; the Lodge Building, 441 East Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Waxahachie, Ellis County; the Lubbock Post Office & Federal Building, 800 Broadway, Lubbock, Lubbock County; the Noah Cox House, 101 Main, Roma, Starr County; the Olivewood Cemetery, 1300 Court Street, Houston, Harris County; the Piano Bridge, One Piano Bridge Road near FM 1383, Schulenburg, Fayette County; the Roma-Cuidad Miguel Aleman International Suspension Bridge, Spur 29, off of U.S. 83, Roma, Starr County; and the Santa Fe Railway Depot, 954 College Avenue, Snyder, Scurry County
Preservation Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places program is funded by generous grants from the Burdine Johnson Foundation and the Summerlee Foundation. By providing statewide awareness through media coverage, the Most Endangered Places is a tool that recognizes the importance of specific sites while promoting the cause of historic preservation in Texas.

For more information on Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places, visit our Web site at www.preservationtexas.org, or phone Preservation Texas, Inc. at 512-472-0102.