Colonial Theatre (South Hill, Virginia)

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Colonial Theatre
ColonialTheater 9875.jpg
Colonial Theater, September 2012
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Location220 S. Mecklenburg Ave., South Hill, Virginia
Coordinates 36°43′29″N78°7′51″W / 36.72472°N 78.13083°W / 36.72472; -78.13083
Arealess than one acre
Built1925 (1925)
Architectural styleEarly Commercial
NRHP reference No. 03000448 [1]
VLR No.301-5054
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 19, 2003
Designated VLRMarch 19, 2003 [2]

Colonial Theatre, also known as The Colonial Center for the Performing Arts, is a historic movie theater located at South Hill, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. It was built in 1925, and housed in a three-story brick building done in the Commercial Style. [3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003, [1] and as of 2023 is used primarily for community theater productions, musical performances, and local events. [4]

Contents

History

Built in 1925, the Colonial Theatre was the only theatre in Mecklenburg County for over two decades. [3] The venue originally housed vaudeville shows and musical performances before undergoing conversion first into a theatre for silent movies and later for modern motion pictures. [3] Many notable entertainers performed at the theatre during its lifespan, including Joan Crawford, Clara Bow, and Minnie Pearl. [3]

The area's post office was housed for a time on the building's first floor, while a Masonic lodge was located on the third. [5] The theatre closed in the 1970s and remained so until a community fundraising drive brought about a renovation effort in the early 2000s. [6] The building reopened in 2011 as the Colonial Center for the Performing Arts, featuring a 400-seat theatre, two lobbies and a welcome center on its main floor, as well as an art gallery and offices on the second floor and a ballroom on the third. [6] [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 James S. Sease, Esq. and Joanna Nix (May 2009). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Colonial Theatre" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
  4. "Upcoming Shows | Colonial Center for the Performing Arts" . Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  5. Virginia Department of Historic Resources. "301-5054". DHR. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  6. 1 2 "History | Colonial Center for the Performing Arts" . Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  7. "The Colonial Center for the Performing Arts". www.virginia.org. Retrieved 2023-09-05.