Roxy Theatre

TLSLOEWS on July 24, 2010 at 4:57 pm

Thanks for the photos.

joelshanespears on July 25, 2008 at 9:27 am

That is definitely the Roxy I remember, although 1952 is 26 years before my time. :) Thanks for the post! It’s always great to remember these things of the past.

joelshanespears on July 14, 2008 at 12:22 pm

The photo in your link is indeed of the Roxy marquee, however, it is not the building. That photo was taken fairly recently at the marquee’s new home Memory Lane, a privately-owned 1950s ‘town’ near Rogersville.

Here is a link to photos of the ‘town,’ but not the marquee: http://www.randomrods.com/memorylane.html

The property encompasses several acres filled with vintage property such as signs and a few replica and original buildings from the area. The Roxy marquee was set up on the side of a former storage barn â€" hence the wooden siding visible in the photo. The original Roxy was a simple, yet stately Art Deco structure in downtown Rogersville and the town’s only piece of true Art Deco which stood uniquely in a sea of Federal-style architecture.

The Roxy, a replacement for the Rogersville Theatre which burned in the 1930s, was demolished in the late 1980s or early 1990s to make room for a garden courtyard at the adjacent Hale Springs Inn.

At the time, the demolition was justified by the fact the inn was Tennessee’s oldest, continually-operating hotel. The Roxy was deemed to be out of character with the surrounding styles which date back to the 1830s through early 1900s. However, in recent years the inn was closed, purchased by the local historical society and has been the center of a slow restoration. This has resulted in a great deal of disrepair to the inn, as well as the gardens where Roxy once stood.

It is considered by many who remember the Roxy to be one of Main Street’s (the former Kingsport / Lee Highway) greatest losses due to ‘progressive’ thinking.