City Council approved the sale of The Palace Theatre in 1990 to Greensburg Garden and Civic Center Inc., the city entity charged with management of the facility of the same name, which was gifted by Katherine Mabis McKenna in 1969. The organization was renamed The Westmoreland Trust in 1992, and then Westmoreland Cultural Trust in 2005 to best identify its mission. Westmoreland Cultural Trust continues to manage Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, the James/Stark building, and the Union Trust building in downtown Greensburg.
Westmoreland Cultural Trust has spearheaded more than $18 million in Palace renovations since 1990, including lighting and sound systems, an infra-red hearing-assist system, carpeting, air-conditioning, Loge and Balcony seating, restoring two murals, creating a courtyard, installing replicas of the theatre’s original opera boxes, dressing room upgrades, and the construction of Megan’s Suite. The Palace Theatre now accommodates up to 1,367 patrons.
In the late 1990s, renowned conservator Christine Daulton restored two of The Palace Theatre’s three original murals based on French fairy tales and painted by artist Louis Grell. Murals along each side of the Loge were covered for years with tapestry and furring strips that severely marred the paintings. The third mural is under a coat of paint spanning the area above the stage’s proscenium arch. This third mural could only be restored at a significant financial cost and would require the theatre to close for performances for an extended period. This ambitious project would enable new generations to view the long-hidden masterpiece underneath.