Colonial Theatre, Laconia

Opened in 1914 by entrepreneur Benjamin Piscopo, the Colonial Theatre was designed in the Neocolonial style by local architect George L. Griffin. Piscopo commissioned artist P. Holdensen to create three decorative murals surrounding the proscenium stage, while a hand-painted fire curtain depicting a Venetian waterside scene paid homage to Piscopo’s native Venice. The theater was converted into a multiplex in 1983 before closing in 2002. As part of a downtown revitalization initiative launched in 2015, the building underwent rehabilitation and was later recognized as a contributing structure within the Colonial Theatre Complex Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.

EverGreene was engaged to conduct a condition assessment and then conserve and restore the theatre’s historic decorative finishes while supporting the building’s rehabilitation. Our conservation team treated the three original Holdensen murals through cleaning, stabilization, canvas repairs, selective inpainting, and protective varnishing. Conservators also restored the historic hand-painted fire curtain by removing surface soiling and repairing tears and losses.

Throughout the auditorium, decorative wall and ceiling finishes were cleaned and consolidated where possible and recreated where necessary. Craftspeople completed plaster repairs and restored painted finishes while preserving surviving historic stencil work. The underside of the balcony, which had been painted over during previous alterations, required recreation of its original decorative scheme. EverGreene’s Design Studio developed reproduction artwork, including printed canvas border elements and stenciled bead-and-reel ornamentation, which were installed on site.

The restoration preserved and revitalized the Colonial Theatre’s historic decorative character, helping return this landmark entertainment venue to active use as part of downtown Laconia’s ongoing revitalization.