The Holly Theatre opened in 1930, screened its last movie in 1986, and was near demolition by 2002. Purchased by JeffersonLive in 2011, its restoration has been a long and fascinating journey, interrupted by COVID and other hurdles. This spring, the theatre reopened after a multi-million dollar restoration that has returned and updated its original interior and exterior for live performance use. George Kramer, the project’s restoration specialist, will take you behind the scenes, detailing how local craftspeople recreated missing elements and accommodated code requirements and safety issues, all while maintaining the theatre’s historic character. Profusely illustrated with before, in process, and after images, learn how one of the largest restoration projects in Medford’s history happened and about the talented artists who did the work. 

Ashland resident George Kramer, with a background in history and architecture, has worked to document and restore historic buildings throughout the Pacific Northwest for over three decades. He wrote the nomination documents for downtown Grants Pass, downtown Medford, and all four of the historic districts in Ashland. In addition to the restoration of the Holly,  George served as the historic consultant for the Liberty Theatre, in North Bend, the Egyptian Theatre, in Coos Bay, the Alger Theatre in Lakeview, and the Cascade Theatre, in Redding, California among dozens of other commercial projects.

The monthly Windows in Time lunchtime lectures feature well-known writers and historians and bring alive the people, values, and events that shaped our southern Oregon heritage. Lectures are jointly sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS) and Jackson County Library Services. Programs are presented in Medford (first Wednesdays, in-person and online) and again in Ashland (second Wednesdays, in-person). Recordings of Medford presentations are available on the JCLS Beyond YouTube channel.