The theater is located at 305 Main Street, within the
Anaconda Commercial Historic District. It was the last theater constructed in the United States in the Nuevo Deco (a form of
Art Deco) style. The theater was designed in 1930 by
Seattle architect
B. Marcus Priteca. It was almost entirely finished by 1931, but its opening was delayed until Thursday, September 24, 1936 because of the
Great Depression. In 1936 dollars, its construction cost was a grand $200,000 (). The
Smithsonian rates the Washoe as a national treasure due to the lavish interior. April 30, 1982, the Washoe was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places for architectural significance. The interior design and furnishings were done by
Hollywood theater designer Nat Smythe. The exterior doors are
etched glass. Each joint and trim work is carved in complicated relief patterns with much use of ornamental ironwork. Use of copper is especially prevalent, as Anaconda was a
company town for the
Anaconda Copper Mining Company. Silver and gold leaf supplement the accent work. Carved rams heads line the walls. Every flat surface, including the domed ceiling, is a painted mural done by Colville Smythe. The
silk curtain is a piece of art in itself, though seldom seen. Its age presents a problem for curators who are afraid that taking it down, even to try and restore it, would cause it to fall apart. It has a painting of deer stags. The theater was also designed to have near perfect
acoustics. The delay in opening allowed the sound system to be re-designed as a showcase for
Western Electric's newest innovation "Mirrophonic Sound". Recorded sound with films was itself a relatively new innovation, so the creation of a
high-fidelity audio system was quite remarkable for 1936. ==History==