About
The Granite Theatre is a handsomely restored Greek Revival Church that sits at the foot of Granite Street in downtown Westerly, Rhode Island. This renovated building began as a church which was originally organized in 1843 as "The Christian Chapel in Westerly".
The site was purchased for $200.00 and Aaron Pierce and James Ells contracted to erect the building which was completed in 1849. Later in 1876 the name was changed to "The Broad Street Christian Church".
The church was raised to accommodate a new basement vestry and a remodeled steeple, which was then destroyed during the 1938 hurricane. From that time on, the building structure has remained the same.
The Granite Theatre was purchased in January 2000 by the late Paul D. Lynch, Thomas F. Black, III, President of the Horace A. Kimball and S. Ella Kimball foundation of Hopkinton whose idea it was to purchase the building and Stewart Pucci of Pucci and Green, Ltd., CPA's of Westerly. The building was purchased for $150,000.
The Kimball Foundation contributed over $100,000 to the refurbishment of the building. The improvements included the installation of air-conditioning, new carpeting, and stadium-style cushioned seating, as well as, numerous other cosmetic upgrades.
All the financial support provided by the Kimball Foundation and donations from generous community supporters is greatly appreciated. In order to continue our tradition of providing quality entertainment, The Renaissance City Theatre, Inc (RCTI), the production entity of the Granite Theatre, is striving to raise additional funds. Your generous donation will continue quality theatre productions for all to enjoy. All donations to RCTI are 100% tax-deductible.
We are also grateful to all our Directors, Actors, and Production Staff who put in untold hours to bring you the very best in live professional theatre. This talented group is supported by a wonderful Box Office staff, as well as, a House staff who is responsible for maintaining our beautiful facility. Finally, and most importantly, we are grateful for your patronage which makes our continued success possible.
As a non-profit arts organization, not only are we committed to providing high quality shows, we are responsilble for maintaining one of Westerly's historic and beautiful landmarks - The Granite Theatre itself.