Mysteries hidden behind 4 famous downtown buildings to be revealed

Amarillo has a very interesting past, especially on Polk Street, which was a bustling shopping area, especially in the '30s, '40s and '50s and boasted the “Best Lighted Main Street in the USA,” on postcards and other memorabilia of the era. Almost everyone spent their Fridays and Saturdays shopping downtown on Polk Street. Women dressed up in their Sunday best, and men wore suits and hats to go downtown.

A chance to venture inside the hidden jewels kept preserved from time will be available Saturday with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. and the tour starting at 10 a.m., with a Center City Tour of Downtown Historic Buildings, "Imagine the Possibilities." There is no fee for the tour, and it can fascinate the youngest to the oldest adventurer.

Center City Executive Director Beth Duke said, “Center City is part of Texas Main Street, and Texas Main Street is part of the Texas Historical Commission. Every May, we celebrate National Historical Preservation Month. It’s exciting because it’s a great time to show people our history and also that these great old buildings can have a new life. These four buildings are great examples of Pueblo Deco Architecture. They’re treasures, and they can have a new life. They’re so interesting because of the craftsmanship that went into these great old buildings.”

Paramount Building, 826 S. Polk

According to Duke, the tour will begin in the lobby of the Paramount Building, 826 S. Polk, which was once a beautiful movie theater and originally a vaudeville theater. The ornate decorations that filled the auditorium were always a feast for the eyes, including the dazzling chandeliers and ornate trim and murals. The opulence of the theater was amazing in its day.

Built in 1932, the it was Amarillo’s finest movie theater. It was designed by W. Scott Dunne of Dallas and constructed by Charles S. Lambie of Amarillo. The building is a fine example of Pueblo Deco architecture. At the historic opening, Amarillo’s first radio station, WDAG, set up a microphone in the lobby to talk to various dignitaries and out-of-town motion picture executives as they made their way inside the palatial theater, according to a story in the Amarillo Globe-Times archives.

“In 2006, Center City and the Amarillo Historic Preservation Foundation raised funds to bring the iconic Paramount sign back to downtown. The sign has become a symbol of downtown’s revitalization,” Duke said. “The private owners of the Paramount Building have agreed to let the visitors come inside and see behind the scenes, at the back of the building where the stage was. Most of these areas are unseen, but we get to go backstage where the crew riggings were when it was a vaudeville theater,” Duke said.

Kress Building, 700 S. Polk

The tour will also include the Kress Building where customers shopped for all kinds of products.

There was a soda fountain which competed with Woolworth’s Lunch Counter and served milkshakes, fountain sodas, grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers to hungry shoppers out to shop downtown. It was originally a “five and dime” store. The company wanted the building to be fancy with gold-letter signs and sophisticated architecture.

It was built in1932 at a cost of $100,000, which was a fortune at that time and brought in the latest style of Pueblo Deco architecture, with colorful tiles around the roofline, to the city.

It was designed by R.R. Rowe, architect, and has been featured in architectural design books detailing the Pueblo Deco movement which combined Art Deco motifs with Southwestern themes.

It previously was home to Center City Furniture store. Center City actively worked with the store owner to restore a neon sign reminiscent of the original Kress sign. The location is now for sale by Gabe Irving, Gaut Whittenburg Emerson.

F.W. Woolworth’s, 626 S. Polk

The Woolworth lunch counter was a favorite stop for shoppers, including the famous grilled cheese sandwich. They had a first-of-kind toasting machine, which patrons could watch as their meal ran through the toaster on a conveyer belt. There were also homemade milkshakes and malts in addition to Cokes and other soft drinks.

According to “Tales of the Panhandle,” F.W. Woolworth debuted in Amarillo in 1913 at 507 Polk. The later version was at 626 Polk in the mid-1940s and then moved to Sunset Center in the early 1960s where it operated until after the shopping center closed.

The downtown location became the Bankruptcy Court and has since served as Esquire Jazz Club, Moondoggy’s Pizza and Off the Hook Seafood Restaurant upstairs. Soon it will have life again as the 45 Wine & Whiskey Bar & Grill.

The original home of Woolworth's was said to have been in Greensboro N.C., and was one of the original five and dime stores.

Levine’s Department Store, 8th & Polk

Levine’s Department Store, located at 8th & Polk, will also be part of the tour.

Levine’s was basically a dry goods and clothing store. It was later occupied by Colbert’s and Colbert’s Harry Holland stores. It was also an example of Pueblo Deco architecture. E.F. Rittenberry was the architect and Charles Lambie was the contractor. It now houses the Revolution, a co-working space available for lease.

Back in the day, it was a thriving store that carried men’s, women’s and children’s clothes, shoes fabrics and home goods. It was originally built to house Levine’s and Walgreen’s.

The store featured a “bargain basement,” which was said to be the first in the Texas Panhandle and had standard brands located on the main floor. Though it has been closed for years, it was a popular stop on Polk Street and had other locations in the city. It was closed in the early 1970s.

For those wanting more information on the fun and fascinating tour, contact info@centercity.org or call 806-372-6744. The tour will begin promptly at 10 a.m., so it’s best to register at 9:30 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Tour to reveal mysteries hidden behind downtown Amarillo buildings