Colonial Theatre (South Hill, Virginia)

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]

Colonial Theatre
Colonial Theater, September 2012
Colonial Theatre (South Hill, Virginia) is located in Virginia
Colonial Theatre (South Hill, Virginia)
Colonial Theatre (South Hill, Virginia) is located in the United States
Colonial Theatre (South Hill, Virginia)
Location220 S. Mecklenburg Ave., South Hill, Virginia
Coordinates36°43′29″N 78°7′51″W
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]

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]

References
  1. "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. 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. "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.
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