[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 9, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S3688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REBIRTH FOR RUTLAND'S PARAMOUNT THEATER

 Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, on Saturday, March 18, the Paramount 
Theater opened its doors to the Rutland community for the first public 
performance on its stage in nearly 20 years. This was a memorable night 
for Vermonters who had the opportunity to see Arlo Guthrie perform with 
the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. This grand reopening also marked the 
successful completion of an important and historic restoration project.
  The Paramount Theater is a Vermont treasure that was an icon of 
downtown Rutland from the time it first opened its doors in 1914 to the 
day those doors closed in 1981. Founded by Rutland businessman George 
T. Chaffee, the Chaffee Playhouse served as a venue for the 
entertainers of the day, allowing Rutland area residents the 
opportunity to see the likes of Will Rogers, the Marx Brothers and 
Harry Houdini, among many others. As motion pictures moved into the 
spotlight in the 1930s, Chaffee's Playhouse was taken over by Paramount 
and became known as the Paramount Movie House.
  Then times changed, and after years of screening movies for fewer and 
fewer patrons, the Paramount closed its doors to the public in 1981. 
The ornate theater that had once served as a centerpiece for the 
Rutland arts and social scenes had become only a fond memory for those 
whose lives it had affected.
  Now times have changed again, and over the past several years, 
downtown Rutland has undergone remarkable growth and revitalization. As 
the downtown community began to bustle with more and more visitors, 
local residents and merchants felt the time had come to reopen the 
doors of the old Center Street theater.
  Coming up with a good idea is often the easy part of a project. 
Finding a way to turn that idea into reality can be a much larger task. 
That was the case with the project to reopen the Paramount Theater, 
which required significant renovation and restoration. Through the 
tireless efforts of community leaders, a major fund raising effort was 
launched with contributions from individuals and local businesses, with 
grants also from the state and federal governments. More than 1500 
people made personal contributions toward the renovation project. My 
colleague, Senator Jeffords, took the lead in making the case for the 
federal contribution, and I was pleased to support that effort.
  Nearly 20 years after it closed, and after more than $3.5 million in 
construction and renovation, the Paramount Theater has been restored to 
the beauty and splendor enjoyed by those Vermonters who attended its 
original opening night on January 15, 1914. The reopening of the 
Paramount Theater now will serve the Rutland community's need for an 
arts center, and, for new generations of Vermonters, it will once again 
be a focal point for the social life of a vibrant community.

                          ____________________