Lincoln Theater (Los Angeles, California)
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Lincoln Theater
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Lincoln Theater, June 2011
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 Location in Central Los Angeles
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| Location | 2300 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°01′13.86″N 118°15′13.72″W / 34.0205167°N 118.2538111°WCoordinates: 34°01′13.86″N 118°15′13.72″W / 34.0205167°N 118.2538111°W |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | John Paxton Perrine |
| Architectural style | Exotic Revival – Moorish |
| NRHP Reference # | 09000149 |
| LAHCM # | 744 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 2009 |
| Designated LAHCM | March 18, 2003 |
The Lincoln Theater is a historic theater in South Los Angeles, California. The Moorish Revival building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Sometimes referred to as the "West Coast Apollo", the Lincoln Theater was one of the most significant establishments along the Central Avenue Corridor that became the cultural and business hub of the African American community in Los Angeles from the 1920s to the 1950s. For more than 30 years, the Lincoln featured live theater, musical acts, talent shows, vaudeville, and motion pictures, including live performances by the leading African-American performers of the era, including Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, the Nat King Cole Trio, and Billie Holiday. The Lincoln Theater was managed and directed by Jules Wolf The theater was converted to use as a church in 1962 and continues to be used for religious services.
The Lincoln Theater was built between 1926 and 1927 at a cost of $500,000. The theater was built in the style of a grand movie palace with a large stage, orchestra pit, and seating for 2,100 persons. The building was designed by architect John Paxton Perrine (1886–1972), who is known for his design of Southern California movie palaces in the 1920s, including the California Theater (1926, San Diego), the Roosevelt Theater (1926, Hawthorne), the Fox Redondo Theater (1927, Redondo Beach), and the California Theatre (1928, San Bernardino). The Lincoln was considered by the California Eagle, “the finest and most beautiful theater in the country built exclusively for race patronage.”
The Lincoln Theater is considered an outstanding example of Exotic Revival and Moorish Revival architecture. The front facade is divided into three symmetrical bays with the theater's entrance at the bottom of the central bay. The facade is marked by decorative ceramic tile above arches in the side bays and columns that are capped by onion-shaped capitals and lance-shaped spires. The area in the central bay above the marquee is decorated with layers of arches and columns that were intended to create "the overall impression of a step-back tower in low relief".
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