In 1920, financier Richard Sweasey built Loew's State Theater as a modern playhouse for vaudeville and movies.

On April 5, 1929, "talkies" were shown here for the first time in Humboldt County. When a disastrous fire closed the State Theater five months later, its position as the only venue for "talkies" was eclipsed by the Rialto Theater.

The building was designed by architects James and Merritt Reid of San Francisco. Their eclectic design combines Beaux Arts, Sullivanesque and Mission features.

When we photographed the building, it housed the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts.

Adapted from the NRHP Nomination submitted in 2009.