E. G. Patterson Building

The E. G. Patterson Building is a historic building at 412–414 Main Street in Bismarck, North Dakota. Constructed in 1905, it was designed by architect Milton Earl Beebe in the Early Commercial architectural style. The property is associated with the development of Bismarck’s downtown commercial and entertainment district and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. A theater has operated within the building under several names. It was formerly known as the Capitol Theatre and later as the Cinema Theatre; the venue is now identified with the Dakota Stage Playhouse. This succession of theater uses gives the building significance not only as a surviving early twentieth-century commercial structure but also as a long-running local performance and cinema venue. During the 1970s, the theater reportedly showed adult films, representing a temporary and controversial phase in the building’s entertainment history. The building stood next to the Patterson Hotel from 1911 through the 1970s. The hotel was described as one of Bismarck’s most prominent hotels, and the proximity of the two properties placed the E. G. Patterson Building within an important historic downtown setting. The building is not a consumer brand or corporate enterprise; its identity derives from its architectural, civic, and entertainment history. Available reference material does not establish a current owner, formal operating company, financial information, or an official website.

The E. G. Patterson Building was constructed in 1905 at 412–414 Main Street in Bismarck, North Dakota. Its design is attributed to Milton Earl Beebe, and the building is identified as an example of Early Commercial architecture. Its original development belongs to the period when Bismarck’s Main Street was becoming an established center for commerce, lodging, and public entertainment. The property later accommodated a theater that operated under more than one name. The venue was known as the Capitol Theatre and subsequently as the Cinema Theatre. The building’s theatrical use connected it to the changing entertainment habits of Bismarck residents and visitors, while its commercial architecture reflected the mixed-use character common to historic downtown buildings. In the 1970s, the theater showed adult films, a use that formed one episode in the property’s changing entertainment history. From 1911 through the 1970s, the E. G. Patterson Building stood next to the Patterson Hotel. The hotel was regarded as one of Bismarck’s most prominent hotels, making the theater building part of a notable downtown architectural and social grouping. The theater has since been associated with the Dakota Stage Playhouse, indicating the continuation of performing-arts use in the building under a later institutional identity. The E. G. Patterson Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The designation recognizes the importance of the property as a surviving historic building and records its architectural and local cultural associations. The available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of renovations, ownership transfers, architects beyond the original designer, or the precise date of each theater-name change. It also does not establish the building’s present ownership or operating status beyond identifying the Dakota Stage Playhouse as its current theater occupant or use.

• 1982

  National Register of Historic Places listing

  [1]E. G. Patterson Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The E. G. Patterson Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 1970

  End of documented Patterson Hotel adjacency period

  [1]E. G. Patterson Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The documented period during which the theater building stood next to the Patterson Hotel extended through the 1970s. During that decade, the theater also showed adult films.

• 1911

  Beginning of association with the Patterson Hotel

  [1]E. G. Patterson Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The building stood next to the Patterson Hotel from 1911 through the 1970s, linking it to one of Bismarck’s most prominent historic hotels.

• 1905

  Construction of the building

  [1]E. G. Patterson Buildingen.wikipedia.org

  The E. G. Patterson Building was constructed at 412–414 Main Street in Bismarck, North Dakota. Milton Earl Beebe designed the building in the Early Commercial architectural style.

A historically significant downtown commercial and theater property rather than a conventional consumer or corporate brand.

• Performing arts and cinema venue

  Theater venue

  The building has housed a theater that operated at different times as the Capitol Theatre and the Cinema Theatre. The venue later became associated with the Dakota Stage Playhouse, continuing the property’s connection with live performance and public entertainment. Historical reference material also records an adult-film exhibition period during the 1970s.

• 1970

  Adult-film exhibition at the theater

  During the 1970s, the theater in the E. G. Patterson Building showed adult films. The available reference identifies this as part of the building’s entertainment history but does not provide details of legal proceedings, public protests, ownership, or regulatory action.

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1. 1E. G. Patterson Buildingen.wikipedia.org