On this day in 1940, silent film legend and Newhall resident William S. Hart officially deeded land at the corner of Spruce and 11th streets to American Legion Post 507, gifting the community its first motion picture theater.

The deed was signed during a formal ceremony on Nov. 6, 1940, at the old Bank of America building on what is now Main Street.

At that time, Hart owned a number of land parcels in the Newhall area. Hart’s gift included three lots at Spruce and 11th Streets valued at $17,000, along with $19,000 for construction and $6,000 for furnishings.

Construction began the following month under the design of famed cinema architect S. Charles Lee, one of the most prolific designers on the West Coast, and the theater was completed by the next spring, with a dedication ceremony on May 23, 1941.

Opening night featured the Gene Autry classic “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” with Hart requesting that one Western be shown each week as long as the theater remained open.

For nearly 25 years, the American Theater served as the heart of moviegoing in the Santa Clarita Valley, later becoming the permanent home of American Legion Post 507, chartered in 1934.

Although the theater ceased showing films in 1965, the same year the modern Plaza Theatre opened on Lyons Avenue, it remained a hub of community activities.

The historic building still stands today beside the Old Town Newhall Library and the community’s old jailhouse, continuing to serve local veterans and hosting various community events.

Mallory Fink / KHTS News

To read yesterday’s Today in History, click here.

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