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New
colors - 1996 The Roxy has, of course, been painted
many times in its history. According to newspaper articles, the
original finish of the building was cream-colored stucco. We're
not sure when the stucco was first painted over, but in 1996
we decided to completely remove the old paint and return the
basic color of the building to its original cream shade. The
painter who took on this task was a friend of ours, former Forsyth
resident Paul Carter, now of Billings. The job took about three
weeks. |
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Our three-tone brown paint job had been in place since around 1990, but it was time for a change.
Step 1 was to remove all the layers of old paint, using a pressure washer. |
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Almost all of the paint is removed, exposing the original cream color of the stucco underneath.
Painter Paul spent a good amount of time sealing hundreds of cracks in the stucco. The cracks had been hidden by the layers of old paint! |
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With the cracks sealed and other repairs made, the first stroke of the new paint is applied.
An undercoat of off-white primer was applied first, making the building all the same color for the first time in its history. (But not for long!) |
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After two coats of the main color were applied, it was time for the trim areas. Forest green and maroon were chosen for the decorative accents on the facade of the theatre. These same colors are used in the audtorium. We were lucky to have perfect weather for the duration of the job. |
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The neon on the marquee was removed to protect it from breakage. The sign was primed and painted maroon, which is the color it was originally in 1935.
Our marquee has 30 strips of neon on the outside, 24 inside, and 38 lightbulbs underneath. |
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Painter Paul and I argued over some of the trim colors. Here, he visualizes the building before we make the final decision. In the background, you can see Jack's IGA which is now Van's.
Putting the finishing touches on the marquee before the neon is replaced. |
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Regal Signs of Miles City re-installed the neon after the painting was nearly finished.
Painter Paul enjoys an illegal Cuban cigar (don't tell anyone) while painting the upstairs window trim. |
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Finished! We're not sure if Painter Paul is expressing pride or relief in this picture. Probably both! The Pepsi sign on the side of the building was sorely missed by Forsythians when Paul painted over it. Not to worry though...Pepsi's crew repainted the sign a few weeks later. |
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