Ruffin Theater
113 W. Pleasant Avenue,
Covington,
TN
38019
113 W. Pleasant Avenue,
Covington,
TN
38019
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Originally built in the 1920’s as the Palace Theater, the structure burnt down and William F. Ruffin added it to his collection of theaters, rebuilt it, and named it the Ruffin Theater. It has undergone several renovations through the years, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#92000248) in 1992. Some of those facelifts modified it from its humble beginnings as a ‘Moving Picture House’ to a full-fledged 640 seat theater with a large stage. Elvis Presley is said to have played here on March 16, 1955.
Now, with a freshly redesigned lighting system, and a new state-of-the-art 32 channel sound system, the Historic Ruffin Theater can accommodate anything from a major stage production to a large concert.
Community theater is a big part of the Historic Ruffin Theater, with many talented individuals participating in recent productions like: ‘Pillow Talk’, ‘Little Women’, ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, and many others. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the frequent auditions for plays by watching our website and the local media. The Ruffin Theater hosts many musical events from all genres, including a Bluegrass series on the first Friday of every month, a ‘Symphony’ program, and many variety shows of all kinds. The Historic Ruffin Theater also plays host to many yearly events like ‘Colgate Country Showdown’ and ‘Miss Tipton County Pageants’.
The Historic Ruffin Theater is operated by the Tipton Arts Council, Inc. as a Non-Profit 501 © 3, and is dependent on the community for most funding. Patrons are a vital part of our existence and everyone is encouraged to contribute to keep the arts alive in Tipton County.
The Tipton Arts Council is also home to the Tipton Art League, a group of talented artists dedicated to spreading the visual arts within the country and beyond.
More information on the Official Website below.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber, Jeff Yarbrough
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
Here is a color photo of the Ruffin Theatre.
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Large color photo of the Ruffin Theatre.
http://www.roadsidenut.com/ruffin1103.jpg
Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1992
Ruffin Theater (added 1992 – Building – #92000248)
113 W. Pleasant Ave., Covington
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Person
Architect, builder, or engineer: Speight & Hibbs
Architectural Style: Art Deco
Historic Person: Ruffin,William F.
Significant Year: 1941, 1937
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
According to the website, it was originally known as The Palace.
Here is a recent close-up view of the Ruffin Theater.
This is a more recent photo of the Ruffin Theater.
Here is the website for the Ruffin Theater.
1983 photo of the Ruffin Theatre.
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Another 1983 photo of the Ruffin Theatre.
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Another Ruffin Theatre the Varsity/Martin in Martin Tennesse had just been listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Great looking theatre.