The Historic Preservation of Loew’s Kings Theater

America is rich in historical landmarks, where stories and adventures have stood the test of time. Loew’s Kings Theater is one example of an amazing site. While the building itself boasts great beauty, there is also a rich history behind the flooring.

Mark Thomann and the Historic Preservation of Loew’s Kings Theater

Mark Thomann is uniquely qualified in the protection and re-creation of historic floors through the preservation of America’s architectural heritage. Mark’s passion is historical preservation while focusing on the details. However, his business experiences have allowed him to become one of the flooring industry experts on the performance attributes of commercial flooring products.

As a result, we sat down with Mark Thomann to ask him a couple of questions about historic preservation. The following features our favorite question we asked and his amazing answer!

Question:

“What was the most exciting historic preservation project that you have ever been a part of and why?”

Answer:

“A current project I am working on is the Loew’s Kings Theater in Brooklyn, NY. It’s very similar to a project that we are working on in New Orleans. With my personal historic archives of over 25,000 patterns, I found the original carpet for this historic theater.

It’s fascinating what architects and designers did in the ’20s and ’30s, and it’s so much fun to recreate those designs with the historically appropriate/accurate woven carpets at Bloomsburg Carpet. It makes Bloomsburg Carpet very unique in that sense. Bloomsburg Carpet really can replicate the original patterns. I think it’s even more important that when we look at these historic structures and get involved in the historic preservation of a courthouse, a state capitol building, or historic theatre that we recreate those historic patterns using American manufacturers.

Sadly, there are architects who do not know about the sum of historic preservation projects that Bloomsburg Carpet has completed. Unfortunately, many carpets for other historic preservation projects received their manufacturing in China or India. That’s historically wrong and totally inappropriate for these magnificent structures. Considering many of these projects are funded with public money, using a foreign manufacturer to make a carpet that can be made in the United States is irresponsible. The preservation of America’s architectural history should be done by an American-woven carpet manufacturer and American textile workers.”

A Passion for Historical Flooring

While a passionate student of American history, Mark champions the preservation of American architecture. Additionally, he focuses on those types of initiatives throughout the historic preservation community. Mark’s focus on historic floors has led to a very unique understanding of the historical significance of flooring products. Mark’s involvement in preservation initiatives for the flooring industry proceeds even into the national level. He works with the US Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Institute of Architects Historic Resources Committee, the League of Historic American Theatres, and recently the Partners for Sacred Places. Additionally, Mark has been a certified instructor for the American Institute of Architects.

The Rich History of Loew’s Kings Theater

The Loew’s Kings Theater, originally opened in 1929, now features the name “Kings Theatre.” On August 31, 2012, The Loews Kings Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places while many New Yorkers rejoiced at this historical moment.

In April of 2011, Barbra Streisand posted: “I was happy to hear recently that the Loew’s Kings Theater in Brooklyn, New York will be undergoing renovations for a reopening in 2014. It was one of those beautiful old movie houses of the past. I was 13 years old when I first started spending many a wonderful afternoon there, partly because it had double features, air conditioning, and great ice cream cones.”

Interested in Learning More?

At Bloomsburg Carpet Industries, we dedicate ourselves to producing highly styled carpets of superior quality. We commit ourselves to the time-honored technique of carpet weaving while employing the beauty and excellence that this technique creates. Our passion for the tradition of American manufacturing commits us to keep the long history of carpet weaving alive and thriving in the U.S.A. Additionally, we stand behind the environmental responsibility of our products while promising to continue designing and producing with attention to sustainability.

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