One comment I recently received from a person who went to the State when it was open. “They showed so many westerns that the place smelled like a barn and the seats when coming apart were filled with straw.”
Park Theatre at 2018 3rd Ave. opened in the mid-1930’s with seating listed at 575. Closed mid 50’s. However it has recently been found that the theater actually opened circa 1904 under the strange name “It Theatre” (proven by early city directories). The proprietor’s last name, given in the directories, was Johnson. His name and the year the building was constructed, 1904, can be seen at the top of the building in your photo. TerraLeaf occupies the building today. If you go into the alley behind the building, you can see that one side of the building is higher than the other, as might be expected for a movie house.
https://www.shelbyroxymt.com/
The web site indicates the theater is open. I’m posting this on 29 Sep 2025 and the web site listed showings this past weekend of “Honey Don’t”.
There appears to be some wrong information. The Howard Theater in Crab Orchard has not been demolished. The building is in bad shape and part of the roof has collapsed. However there is a fund raising campaign to try to preserve the theater.
https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/new-owner-of-lincoln-county-theater-hopes-to-restore-historic-building/
In the book, “The Titanic and Silent Cinema” while referring to the Titanic sinking states, “inside an American cinema, The New Gem in Baltimore, a more permanent memorial to the great news story was created, alongside murals of Swiss mountain scenes. There was a thrilling painting of the Titanic disaster.”
The Mingo Theater was located across from the Courthouse on second avenue alongside Hobb’s Department Store. The First National Bank purchased the building and expanded the bank.There is a picture of the theater posted here. http://www.williamsonwestvirginia.us/Personal%20Web%20Page_files/image027.jpg
One comment I recently received from a person who went to the State when it was open. “They showed so many westerns that the place smelled like a barn and the seats when coming apart were filled with straw.”
Park Theatre at 2018 3rd Ave. opened in the mid-1930’s with seating listed at 575. Closed mid 50’s. However it has recently been found that the theater actually opened circa 1904 under the strange name “It Theatre” (proven by early city directories). The proprietor’s last name, given in the directories, was Johnson. His name and the year the building was constructed, 1904, can be seen at the top of the building in your photo. TerraLeaf occupies the building today. If you go into the alley behind the building, you can see that one side of the building is higher than the other, as might be expected for a movie house.
You Tube video tour of the theater. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zogFNbEHtM8
https://www.shelbyroxymt.com/ The web site indicates the theater is open. I’m posting this on 29 Sep 2025 and the web site listed showings this past weekend of “Honey Don’t”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJfsX0-qtTo
There appears to be some wrong information. The Howard Theater in Crab Orchard has not been demolished. The building is in bad shape and part of the roof has collapsed. However there is a fund raising campaign to try to preserve the theater. https://fox56news.com/news/kentucky/new-owner-of-lincoln-county-theater-hopes-to-restore-historic-building/
In the book, “The Titanic and Silent Cinema” while referring to the Titanic sinking states, “inside an American cinema, The New Gem in Baltimore, a more permanent memorial to the great news story was created, alongside murals of Swiss mountain scenes. There was a thrilling painting of the Titanic disaster.”
The new larger theater mentioned was the Cinderella Theater opened in May 1921.
The Cinderella Theater was opened in May 1921, according to the Williamson City web page.
The Mingo Theater was located across from the Courthouse on second avenue alongside Hobb’s Department Store. The First National Bank purchased the building and expanded the bank.There is a picture of the theater posted here. http://www.williamsonwestvirginia.us/Personal%20Web%20Page_files/image027.jpg