As with so many impacts of the February freeze that affected every county in the state, the thaw last week brought on some of the worst of the damage.
That was the case with Spur’s historic Palace Theater, where a single burst water line supplying an unused backstage bathroom filled the sloped floor to swimming-pool height last Thursday.
Thanks to ongoing, routine water meter checks by City of Spur technicians, however, the problem was spotted likely within 24 hours of the break. Joe Gutierrez and Jeff Sturgis shut off the building’s supply when they discovered the meter “spinning.”
Still, said Harry Bob Martin, who oversees the theater as part of his role on the Dickens County Historical Commission, the pipe had gushed nearly 80,000 gallons of water into the building within a few hours’ time. The two-story 1929 building, which was restored through public and private grants and local donations over the past two decades, is owned by the county.
Martin, who met with the county’s insurance adjuster Monday morning, said that water had not reached the top of the stage, or the outside ground level. It was contained by the concrete floor and stucco side walls, except for underneath the stage, where the foundation is dirt.
“Well, it’s mud now,” said Martin. He expects the damage is not nearly as severe as it could have been, since it was contained entirely to the lower part of the building. Wainscoting around the stage base, stage doors, and carpet will likely need replacing, though the adjuster’s report has not yet been finalized. The paint on the concrete floor, last reapplied in 1991, has begun to buckle. Most uncertain is the effect of standing water on the interior stucco walls, which were already in need of patching in places.
The county authorized Phil Kerr Plumbing to pump out the water and cap off the broken line, at a cost of $600. That work was completed over the weekend.
The Palace had just received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of West Texas to replace ceiling tiles and insulation, which had been removed during replacement of the roof in 2018. Work was scheduled to begin soon, with scaffolding set in place while the theater was inactive. Events have been on hiatus since last summer due to the Covid pandemic.
Martin said he felt confident this setback would not prevent movie showings that might be considered as the weather turns warm in any case.
None of the projection equipment, sound system, or screen were damaged at all, Martin said. “We could show a movie tomorrow,” he said with assurance.
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