Located in Clatskanie, Oregon, within the Clatskanie Cultural Center, is the Avalon Theatre in a building originally constructed in 1926 as an Odd Fellows Hall. The theater operated from 1930 until 1985. After the theater closed, in the early 2000s, the theater was renovated thanks mostly to a $500,000 bequest from C. Keith Birkenfeld, whom the theater is now named after and known as. After the renovation, the theater now has 160 seats, new sound and lighting systems, vintage seating, and green room and dressing room facilities.
In Clatskanie, Oregon, the local IOOF chapter, a part of the global fraternal organization that began in England during the 18th century, played a pivotal role in the community's social and cultural development. In 1926, they commissioned the construction of the IOOF Hall, designed by Portland architect Ernst Kroner. This hall was the town's first large concrete building and remains one of its most prominent structures. Beyond serving as a meeting place for the Odd Fellows, the hall housed the Avalon Theater, offering a venue for vaudeville shows, silent films, and later, "talkies." The building also accommodated the local post office, professional offices, and meeting spaces, making it a central hub for various community activities and services.
