The Historic Pearl Theater (Formerly St. Ann’s Catholic Church)
Bonners Ferry, Boundary County
- Grants: 2023 – Belfry Stabilization
Location: 7160 Ash St Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805
Though Bonners Ferry was not officially established until 1893, Jesuit missionaries to the Kootenai Tribe had been in the area since at least 1846. Shortly following his arrival, Bishop Glorieux obtained a small parcel of land for the grand total of $65, and ground was broken for a church in 1894. Construction was completed in May the following year, and the church was dedicated to St. Ann on May 25, 1895. In less than two decades, the congregation had outgrown the size of the original church, and it was renovated to more than double the original size, reopening in August of 1914.
St. Ann’s first permanent pastor arrived in 1922, and the rectory was added during his tenure. During this time, the original belfry was replaced with a shorter, wider version that was deemed more likely to stand the test of time. The parish continued to expand, and by 1963 had again outgrown its current church. A new building was constructed on El Paso St., and the dioceses leased St. Ann’s to another church for most of the rest of the century.
In 2011, the building was purchased by a nonprofit group and converted into a performing arts and theater space. The Pearl Theater hosts all manner of artistic endeavors these days, including monthly Open Mic and Performers Circles, school art shows, piano recitals, and art exhibits for local artists, along with book clubs, cooking classes, art classes, yoga, dance recitals, choir performances, live music, and theater performances, all of which are greatly enriched by the historic setting.
