While no longer a movie theater, a $400,000 reconstruction of the historic facade of the former Flower Theatre in the Long Branch neighborhood of Silver Spring is complete.
MHP, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, set a 6 p.m., Feb. 3 for a relighting ceremony to unveil and illuminate the iconic neon sign and marquee.
The first 100 attendees will receive a free limited-edition T-shirt.
Renovations also included restoring the ticket booth and other repairs at the Flower Avenue site.
“We are excited to see these aesthetic enhancements come to fruition at Flower Theatre” said Chris Gillis, Director of Policy & Neighborhood Development for MHP. “We hope this project will bring attention to the Long Branch community’s rich cultural history and diverse business offerings, in addition to the theater building’s investment potential.”
MHP officials are optimistic that this work will spur investment in the theatre so that it can be used by commercial tenants.
The restoration project began in 2021 when it was awarded a Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) grant of $75,000.
Financial support of the rehabilitation work was provided by DHCD, Montgomery County Department of Housing & Community Affairs, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, Cafritz Foundation and MHP.
Donohoe Construction was general contractor for the project.
The theatre opened in 1950 but has been closed since 1966. Since then, the building has either been home to a house of worship or vacant. Currently, Iglesia Jesus es Vida church uses the space.
According to the website Cinema Treasures, John J. Zink and Frederick L.W. Moehle were the theater’s architects. It opened Feb. 15, 1950, when it showed the film “The Great Lover,” starring Bob Hope, according to Steve Woerner, Cinema Treasures.
In 1983, two screens were built next to the original theater. Those small theaters closed in May 1995. The Flower Theater closed in January 1996 after sustaining flood damage.
