Look back at iconic Anderson Theatre restoration as Gulfport prepares for 125th anniversary

Mary Perez
·3 min read

Gulfport celebrates its 125th anniversary July 29 with a parade, a free party in the park and fireworks to mark the history, the resilience and the growth of the city.

The party runs from 5-9 p.m. at Jones Park, kicking off with parade at 5:30 p.m., entertainment starting at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. Games, bounce houses and food trucks will add to the party plans.

Hurricane Katrina left the downtown battered in 2005, but many of the historic buildings still stood and have been restored over the past 17 years.

One of those is the old Anderson Theater on 25th Avenue that now is the Balch & Bingham law offices.

The Anderson Theater building in downtown Gulfport is pictured before a $2.4 million restoration project combined it with the original Balch & Bingham law office to the right.
The Anderson Theater building in downtown Gulfport is pictured before a $2.4 million restoration project combined it with the original Balch & Bingham law office to the right.

In 2016, the Sun Herald featured the $2.4 million restoration and transformation of the theater building as it became part of the law office next door.

“From the outside, the restored Anderson Theater looks completely different from the French Quarter style of the neighboring Balch & Bingham building,” the article said, “but inside it’s one seamless expansion of the law office at 1310 25th Ave.”

The restored Anderson Theatre building with its white exterior and black awnings contrast with the original Balch & Bingham law office to the right, with its French Quarter design. The interiors of the two buildings were combined into a spacious 21,000-square-foot office.
The restored Anderson Theatre building with its white exterior and black awnings contrast with the original Balch & Bingham law office to the right, with its French Quarter design. The interiors of the two buildings were combined into a spacious 21,000-square-foot office.

The historic restoration preserved the exterior of the theater that operated for 30 years, from 1921 to 1951, while providing more space for Balch & Bingham staff.

The challenge, said Ricky Cox, a partner in the law firm, was to provide video-conference capabilities and other modern amenities in the 6,000-square-foot addition and blend it with the 15,000-square-foot original building that exudes New Orleans charm.

The firm restored the old Hewes Brothers Department Store building in 1988, and made repairs after the offices were flooded with 3½ feet of water during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The 2015 addition gave the opportunity to install arched doors in the main conference room to match the arched windows and enhance the look of the wood floors and exposed-brick walls.

The remodeled Balch & Bingham law offices in downtown Gulfport still has the architectural elements of the historic building after the restoration and expansion into the old Anderson Theatre.
The remodeled Balch & Bingham law offices in downtown Gulfport still has the architectural elements of the historic building after the restoration and expansion into the old Anderson Theatre.

“We named all of the conference rooms after barrier islands,” Cox said, such as Ship, Round, Horn, Petit Bois. “We have more conference rooms than we have islands — almost.”

The company bought the building in early 2015 for $525,000. The renovation costs and professional fees of $1.9 million brought the total project to $2.4 million.

“The firm applied for and was awarded historical tax credits offered by both the state and federal governments by committing to preserve the historical design of the building,” office manager Tommy Hauer said.

Virtually every modification from the original plan had to be approved all the way up to the Department of the Interior.

The “Anderson Theatre” sign is still visible on the exterior of the downtown Gulfport building that was incorporated into the Balch & Bingham law office in 2015-2016.
The “Anderson Theatre” sign is still visible on the exterior of the downtown Gulfport building that was incorporated into the Balch & Bingham law office in 2015-2016.

Hurricane-proof windows were special ordered. The “Anderson Theater” sign at the top of the building remains, and awnings recall the look of the marquee and ticket booth.

An atrium provides interior views for the offices and conference rooms along with an area for events. Cox called the architecture “pretty iconic in terms of law offices.”

Ben Stone, a senior partner in the 100-year-old firm, was among those who’d remodeled the Hewes building and brought new life to the downtown landmark, Cox said.

Balch & Bingham expanded the firm’s downtown Gulfport law office into the neighboring Anderson Theater. The addition provides more space and modern amenities, such as video conference capabilities. This conference room in the addition overlooks 25th Avenue.
Balch & Bingham expanded the firm’s downtown Gulfport law office into the neighboring Anderson Theater. The addition provides more space and modern amenities, such as video conference capabilities. This conference room in the addition overlooks 25th Avenue.

The interior of the theater building, which had operated under the Saenger and other names, saw successive generations of remodeling. The building became Coast Hardware Store in the 1950s and later was used as an office for Mississippi Power’s media division.

With the latest restoration, the firm gained more space for the paralegal department, two conference rooms, break rooms and eight additional offices. The addition can now accommodate 30 attorneys.

The theater’s second floor wasn’t part of the renovation and remains open for future offices, apartments or other options.

“The historic tax credits made a huge difference,” Cox said.

The restoration was designed by architect Denise Earles Walsh of Jackson.

The original Balch & Bingham law office building features a French Quarter design and feel. The old Anderson Theatre building was restored and incorporated into the law office in 2015/2016.
The original Balch & Bingham law office building features a French Quarter design and feel. The old Anderson Theatre building was restored and incorporated into the law office in 2015/2016.

Biloxi firm Machado Patano was the local architect and engineer. Starks Contracting of Biloxi was the contractor and while the restoration was in progress, art students from Gulfport High School created murals to decorate the walls concealing the construction.

When the firm’s historical remodel was complete, Cox said, the entire block in downtown Gulfport from The First bank to Tripplett-Day Drugs was restored.