American Theater
115 South Jefferson Street,
Roanoke,
VA
23012
115 South Jefferson Street,
Roanoke,
VA
23012
1 person
favorited this theater
Built in 1928. Closed and demolished in 1973 for a new First National Exchange Bank. This was a great theater. Large balcony, upstairs concession stand. Reminded me of a bigger, grander version of the Byrd. Close to the Carpenter Center in granduer. Was the longtime home of the Miss Virginia pageant. Henry B. Boynton also had a hand in design and construction. Their firm of Smithey and Boynton designed and built many famous buildings in the valley, such as the Shenendoah Life Building. They also built the Lyric in Blacksburg. Boynton out lived his creation, dying in 1991 at age 92. Saw movies here in 60’s, last one in ‘72 probably. Highlights were “The Graduate” and “Little Big Man”.
Contributed by
george hill
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
Construction costs were “slightly"in excess of $550,000 king-sized 1928 dollars.
The 3 manual l0 rank style H Wurlitzer organ (1927: opus 1745)from this theatre was moved to Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, CA where it is played each Sunday. The organ was increased in size to around 20+ ranks by Blackinton Organ Company of San Diego.
This website has a vintage photo of the American Theater.
You found the Twig’s website,I refered to above.The other two great theaters I refer to above still are not listed,since I can’t get specs and other info on them.In the 60’s,there were still a lot of people who remembered them.
I did find the website Mr. G. It only took me a year and a half to do it. LOL
This is the cinema that I remember my grandmother taking me to in the late 1960’s. I believe it was a Charlie Brown film.
Nice vintage photo posted by Lost Memory.
If you turn the pic to the left(S),the tall building next to the shorter,old building is the site of this former great theater.Still angers me.
Just spent an hour going through over a hundred pages of the old roanoke website.On it are pics of the MUSIC ACADEMY,which is fairly well remembered-and should be on this site- quite beautiful,but also the RIALTO(Campbell Ave.)and the PARK,nearby,probably on Jefferson.
The architect’s middle name is spelled with a double “p” in his entries in various editions of the AIA’s American Architects Directory: Phillippe. As the content for the biographical material in the directories was submitted by the architects themselves, this spelling is most likely correct.