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Redwood City – History of The Fox Theater

Redwood City – History of The Fox Theater is the current location for where patrons of Redwood City music scene visit . The Fox Theater is a place everyone want themselves seen by other Redwood City residents. The two different sections of the Fox Theater allow for small intimate shows to larger performances where more people want to attend. If you do yourself a favor, one would be to attend the Fox Theater and one of their shows.

The Fox Theatre opened it doors for business on January 2, 1929.  In 1929 the Fox Theatre was known as The New Sequoia Theater and built by Ellis John Arkursh.  Mr. Arkursh moved to San Francisco from Chicago in 1912 to work as a civil engineer on the Panama Pacific-Exposition in S.F.. The cost of building The Sequoia was $180,000!

While traveling in Europe Mr. Arkursh loved all the European architectural details and use what he saw in Europe to crate the Moorish feel and style of the interior of his new theater.  On the exterior Mr. Arkursh use the Gothic style he saw in Europe. The Reid Brothers of San Francisco built this beautiful building in 1928.

The theatre’s main use was to show motion pictures.  There were some big names that have

performed at The Sequoia including Bob Hope, Al Jolson.  The Sequoia purchased by Fox West Coast theater chain in October of 1929.

Over the years removal of most of the tracery from the Fox Theatre that has changed it appearance. One of the main causes was the failing of the ceiling in the 1950’s.  However, the building’s interior and exterior still today have its original grandeur in scale and detail!

The Fox Theatre is on the National Register of Historical Places since 1993. The efforts for placing this historical building on the National Register took coöperation by the past property owner, John Anagnostou  and the Historical Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC), of Redwood City. The HRAC is an arm of the Redwood City Planning Commission.