The original Tower Theatre was built in 1940 in about three months by two shifts of workers employed by local contractor Fred Van Matre. A large "Tower" sign dominated the building, rising 40 feet above it to a height of 78 feet and using more than 1,200 feet of neon tug lighting. The theatre originally seated 998 people, and its 30 x 18 stage hosted vaudeville shows, community concerts, weekly amateur hours, fashion shows, plays, and first-run movies. The theatre closed in 1996, but local citizens raised more than $4.2 million, renovated the facility, and reopened it in 2004.