Yesterday the historic neon sign on the old Georgetown theater was restored. It was taken down as part of the building’s renovation last September and sent to the same company that created it in the 1950s.
The restoration is beautiful. The swooping art moderne cap is especially noticeable. GM was surprised that the paint color chosen was blue. It was blue before the restoration, but GM believes it was actually painted black originally. GM can’t find it now, but he believes the sign was painted blue as part of the restoration done for filming of St. Elmo’s Fire:
The letters themselves appear clear, but GM they might light up a different color.
The official lighting will take place on September 23, the autumnal equinox. The rest of the building is supposed to be done by then (although it seems unlikely that any tenants will be in place by then). Robert Bell, the owner and architect of the project, wanted to restore the sign even before buying the building back in 2009 and wanted to have the sign ready to be lit for the vernal equinox. The plan fell through, but he’ll finally get his wish in September.
The restoration of this sign is huge for Georgetown and it will likely become the most iconic image for the neighborhood.
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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