Strand Theatre
240 W. Main Street,
Covington,
VA
24426
240 W. Main Street,
Covington,
VA
24426
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Masonic Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Originally the 700-seat Masonic Theatre which had opened by 1909. It was renamed Strand Theatre in June 1916 with 610-seats. It was still operating in 1957.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
I suggest 331 W Main as a possibility. Big arched windows on the second floor, obviously once had a vertical sign.
Seth, I agree that 331 W Main is the former Strand. I’m going through there next week and take a closer look.
An item in the June 10, 1916 issue of The Moving Picture World says that the Masonic Theatre in Covington, Virginia, had been renovated and renamed the Strand Theatre.
Historic photos of the Masonic/Strand Theatre show that it was not in the two story building at 311 W. Main Street, but in a three story building in the 200 block, on the opposite side of the street, east of what is now the Wells Fargo Bank building and sited on what is now that building’s parking lot.
Here is a 1956 photo of the Strand, next door to the Citizens Bank building, which might be the Wells Fargo building, now extensively remodeled, but probably in the same location either way.
Here is an undated photo showing the Strand when it was the Masonic Theatre.
Here is a very small, undated photo of Main Street looking west, with the Strand at right. The building farther down on the right with the arched windows on the ground floor is still standing, as is the more distant, taller building with the blank white wall. There can be no mistake about the Strand’s location, or the fact that it has been demolished, though its exact address is moot. Wells Fargo is at 246 W. Main, so the Strand’s address might have been about 240.
The Masonic Theatre is listed in the 1909-1910 Cahn guide as a 700 seat ground floor house. It is listed in the December 20, 1913 issue of The Moving Picture World as being a subscriber to The American Motion Picture League. Another Covington house, the Hippodrome, was also on that list.
The 1920 Sanborn shows the capacity as 610, and the address as 212-214. The bank then was 218. 240 is probably the best current address.
Joe’s last photo must be from the at least the mid ‘70s, judging by the cars.
Appears on the July 1907 map, but not on the 1902 map. ‘Moving Pictures’ note appears on the 1913 map, but of course that doesn’t mean they weren’t shown earlier.
For Norman, the building we thought might be the theater was a Montgomery Ward.