American Theater

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thanks to a great guy named Twig,the man behind the “old Roanoke"website,I have received great exterior shots of the American and a fine interior shot.These pictures rekindled my distaste of that fine banking institution.One shot shows the place all decked out for Christmas.He has also sent me shots of the interior and exterior of the Jefferson down the street,taken before it was remodeled,long before it met it’s untimely demise.He also furnished a good exterior shot of the Academy of Music and an interior shot of the double balconied Roanoke Theater,once Roanoke’s largest house.From the pictures,it is obvious the the American was a much more massive edifice than the familiar Byrd.