Lincoln Theatre (Marion, Virginia)
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Lincoln Theatre | |
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Lincoln Theatre, October 2006 | |
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| Location | 117 E. Main St., Marion, Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 36°50′0″N 81°31′9″W / 36.83333°N 81.51917°WCoordinates: 36°50′0″N 81°31′9″W / 36.83333°N 81.51917°W |
| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Eubank & Caldwell; Novelty Scenic Studios |
| Architectural style | Exotic Revival, Mayan Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 92001710[1] |
| VLR # | 119-0009 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 17, 1992 |
| Designated VLR | October 21, 1992[2] |
The Lincoln Theatre is a historic theatre located in downtown Marion, Virginia. It originally opened in 1929 as a top-of-the-line movie house. It operated as such for 44 years until its first closing in December 1973. It reopened briefly in the mid-1970s but closed its doors once again in August 1977. The building sat neglected until the 1990’s when The Lincoln Theatre Foundation raised more than $1.8 million in an attempt to revive and preserve the theatre. The Lincoln Theatre officially reopened on May 16, 2004. As the theatre stands today it is included on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark and it is considered to be “Southwest Virginia’s Finest Showplace!”
Movie House[3]
The Lincoln Theatre opened on July 1, 1929 allowing the nearly 1,000 patrons packing the theatre to see “Close Harmony.” The picture starred Buddy Rodgers and Nancy Carroll, for many in attendance this was the first talking picture they had seen. Hundreds were turned away at the door because the 750 seat theatre could not accommodate them all.
During its time as a movie house thousands of motion pictures flashed across the screen, giving Smyth Countians the chance to see some of Hollywood’s finest on both the big screen and in person. Roy Rogers – accompanied by Trigger- Dales Evans, Lash LaRue, Randolf Scott, Sunset Carson, Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix, The Lone Ranger, and Gabbey Hayes all made appearances at the grand theatre.
The theatre operated for 44 years before it closed its doors for the first time in December 1973. During the mid-1970s the theatre opened again operating only part time due to lack of interest by patrons. With movie goes few and far between the theatre began running low on funds and found it hard to keep up with the expensive day to day operations, before too long both the equipment and building began to fall into disrepair. On August 28, 1977 the Lincoln had one final showing of the 1974 adventure film, “When the North Wind Blows” before closing its doors for a final time.
Renovation[4]
The theatre was neglected until the 1990s when The Lincoln Theatre Foundation raised more than $1.8 million dollars in an attempt to preserve the theatre. During the theatres years of neglect the ceiling gave way forming a large hole, rats and pigeons made themselves at home, the once beautiful artwork had become white washed, and there was a multitude of molds growing. A regional firm was chosen to restore the dilapidated building and hundreds of volunteers were enlisted to help. The projection screen was taken down, a new ceiling was built, and all the chairs were replaced. The theatre once sat around 700 but due to newly enforced fire codes and safety regulations the seating capacity was lowered to around 500. A state-of-the-art sound-and-lighting system was installed along with a rehearsal space and dressing rooms giving the movie house the opportunity to become a place for live performance.
Parts of the theatre remain untouched, the original projectors are still where they stood when the theatre opened as well as the original lighting switches.
Reopening[5]
The theatre reopened its doors on May 16, 2004 for its first show in nearly 30 years. The western musical-comedy group Riders in the Sky performed for the grand re-opening of the theatre to a packed house. Since the reopening The Lincoln Theatre has offered year-round events and a diverse schedule of entertainment from concerts to live theatre and movie screenings. The theatre offers a unique opportunity for performers and patrons both; the close seating in proximity to the stage offers a more personal one-on-one experience. The theatre is available as a venue for touring companies, performance groups, individual artists, corporate events, weddings and more. With the reopening the theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark. As it stands today the theatre is one of only three remaining Art Deco Mayan Revival theatres.
Song of the Mountains[6]
The Lincoln is home to the national televised bluegrass and old-time concert series Song of the Mountains. The series is hosted by the banjo playing bluegrass star Tim White. The series is filmed in front of a live audience at the theatre on the first Saturday of every month. The show has brought many beloved musicians to the theatres stage such as: Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson, The VW Boys, Emi Sunshine, Wayne Henderson, Jeff Brown, and Nathan Stanley.
Song of the Mountains was originally a production of the Lincoln Theatre until the summer of 2015 when the Lincoln cut ties with the series in an attempt to save itself from the financial burden the series was placing on it. During this attempt the theatre unceremoniously fired White from both his position as host and talent booking. Fans of the show began to protest by showing up to tapings with signs and hand fans with “BRING BACK TIM WHITE!” printed across them, they booed the new host, a local celebrity from the area, off stage and attendance numbers dropped dramatically. In a last ditch attempt to save themselves the theatre sold Song of the Mountains to an outside organization with the agreement being they would rent the theatre out for the production of the show and White would be brought back.
Architecture and Design[7]
The theatre’s architecture is Art-Deco Mayan Revival; the walls feature colorful glyphs depicting exotic creatures and gods from Mayan mythology. It is one of only three remaining Art-Deco Mayan Revival theatres left standing in the United States today. In juxtaposition to this stylized architecture the theatre has six enormous murals that act as a timeline for local and American history. The murals were painted by local artist Lola Poston, a young farm girl, who was paid $50 for each mural she painted. During the renovation each mural was taken down one-by-one to be cleaned and re-finished at a cost of $20,000 each.
References
- ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ↑ "The Lincoln Theatre". The Lincoln Theatre. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ↑ "The Lincoln Theatre". The Lincoln Theatre. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ↑ "The Lincoln Theatre". The Lincoln Theatre. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ↑ "Home - Song of The Mountains". Song of The Mountains. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
- ↑ "The Lincoln Theatre". The Lincoln Theatre. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
