Original murals, vintage marquee lighting and a long-lost vertical sign are shaping the Mariemont Theatre's comeback, thanks to a deep dive into the Mariemont Preservation Foundation's archives.

In July, Allyson West, founder and executive director of Cindependent, and her team spent time poring over historic photographs, artwork and original design documents held in MPF's collections, according to a post on mariemontpreservation.org published Wednesday, Aug. 5. The goal was not to recreate the past wholesale but to identify the details that made the nearly 90-year-old landmark distinctive.

"It's been really fun to learn how the Theatre has had an impact on this community," West said. "We were looking for those unique details that really set the Theatre apart."

What they found is already influencing the work. The Theatre's original murals, which community members recall as depicting people playing sports and which were covered over years ago, are informing the current refresh. So is the building's iconic marquee lighting. The team is also actively considering whether to restore the Theatre's signature vertical sign, based on evidence in the archive.

Cindependent, the nonprofit that took over management of the five-screen theatre after it went dark in February, is leading the renovation. West said the design team is drawing on a 1930s technicolor cinema concept to balance the building's Depression-era heritage with a modern moviegoing experience.

MPF's archives have guided preservation work across Mariemont before. After a fire damaged a historic Murray Avenue building earlier this year, the Foundation pulled original 1924 blueprints and specifications to support that restoration. Rosie Polter, MPF executive director, said in an April post on the Foundation's website that the archival materials "provide an essential record of what once existed" and help ensure accurate reconstruction.

The Theatre first opened in December 1938 in the heart of Mariemont's village square. As reported July 30, Cindependent raised nearly $1.1 million to fund the renovation and is targeting a late-August grand reopening.

Coming up

Residents can watch for a reopening date announcement from Cindependent as work continues through August. Elsewhere in the east-side villages: the Madeira Planning Commission holds public hearings on storage pod rules and setback changes on Monday, Aug. 17, and Indian Hill schools begin classes Thursday, Aug. 13.