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(Lisa Pfueller Davidson and Catherine C. Lavoie)
When this shopping center opened on October 27, 1938, the Washington Post covered the event with a twelve-page special section, and six thousand people attended the ceremony. The excitement was echoed in the flamboyant Art Deco design by a nationally famous theater architect. Based in New York City, Eberson was celebrated for his “atmospheric” movie palace designs in the 1920s, but starting in 1930 he developed a selection of more compact and economical theaters for Warner Brothers, including the Silver Theater. The complete project was the brainchild of realtor C. H. Hillegeist, and its construction inspired a commercial building boom in Silver Spring.
The U-shaped complex was sited in a “park and shop” configuration that placed parking at the front. Additional parking at the rear was originally linked via a shallow underpass. The stores in the shopping center were visually united by curved canopies and a stepped limestone parapet.
The attached theater portion was turned to face Colesville Road, with a marquee and sign of stacked neon letters spelling SILVER (now a replica). The thousand-seat auditorium has been somewhat altered to accommodate projection of modern movies but still conveys streamlined glamour. The stacked bands of cove lighting flanking the proscenium recall massive outstretched wings, and murals in niches along the side walls depict peacocks and exotic foliage. Saved from demolition after a lengthy preservation fight, the theater is now home to the American Film Institute and incorporates adjacent new construction with two theaters, offices, and exhibit space. The shopping center continues to serve as a commercial hub in downtown Silver Spring.