“The Oriental closed in December, 1980 following a rise in gang violence. The final operators were Kohlberg Theaters, decendants of which continue to operate the Cascade Drive-In. The theater was originally to have been converted to a two-story shopping mall with 5 stories of the original theater above as a theater-in-the-round.
posted by BWChicago on Feb 13, 2006 at 3:58am”
The building was built in 1889, and opened in 1894 as the south’s first YMCA. It also contained 2 large retail spaces. It served that purpose until about 1915. Over the years the retail spaces functioned as a bank, offices, meat market, grocer, plumbing store, music store, department store, ice house, and morgue. In 1910, the Elite Theatre opened on the full ground floor, and the Majestic Hotel occupied the second and third. In 1926 the building was purchased by Masonic Temple Associated of Athens. In 1936 Publix subsidiary Lucas and Jenkins purchased the building and converted it into the Georgia Theatre, opening in September with a colored balcony. In the 1960s it also served as home to the Athens First United Methodist Church. In 1969 the Classic Theatre was built behind it. In October 1975 it showed its last film, “Brotherhood of Death”. It reopened as a dedicated music hall January 11, 1978 with the band Sea Level. It closed in 1980, then reopened March 11, 1981, closing again shortly thereafter. It next reopened April 9, 1982 as the Carafe & Draft, first under the Georgia Theatre Company and later under UA. In 1989 UA closed it and it reopened October 2, 1989 with seminal Athens band Pylon. The operations, incidentally, were headed by the people who ran the Uptown Lounge, itself housed in the former Paris Adult Theatre. In 2004 it was sold to Wilmot Greene and Randy Smith, who spnt the next 5 years on a renovation project that was just wrapping up when the fire hit.
According to older articles about its history, the Georgia Theatre’s foundation dates to 1890, and was completed in 1894. It served as a YMCA until 1915, complete with an iron swimming pool in the basement. It then served uses from a morgue to a department store before being converted into a theatre in 1935. It began operating as a music venue starting in 1978. The B-52s personally sold all tickets for their first show there in order to get permission to play, due to the owner’s hesitance. A few years later, it began showing film again as the Carafe and Draft, and after 1984 it became exclusively a music venue, with performers such as Jane’s Addiction, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wynton Marsalis, The Ramones, Phish, and Dave Matthews Band, some while they were still unknowns.
Here’s a post all about the 1982 fire: View link
Well, in fairness, the Block 37 theatres would have been shoebox-size, no bigger than the Esquire’s if not smaller.
“The Oriental closed in December, 1980 following a rise in gang violence. The final operators were Kohlberg Theaters, decendants of which continue to operate the Cascade Drive-In. The theater was originally to have been converted to a two-story shopping mall with 5 stories of the original theater above as a theater-in-the-round.
posted by BWChicago on Feb 13, 2006 at 3:58am”
M&R was the previous operator.
Look through that blog; her work is an amazing discovery.
http://bit.ly/2kMY6i 1950s photo
http://bit.ly/30YNu6 – Photo of demoliition
View link – Facing foreclosure
A nice picture: View link
http://bit.ly/1RuUTa A 1988 Image
Thanks!
Really cool website!
View link
View link
Looks like the lost the proscenium and terrazzo somewhere along the way, too bad. Otherwise it looks like an awesome venue
Here are a few shots of the interior from last year: View link
The Georgia Theatre’s website relaunched today and with it, posted historic photos. http://www.georgiatheatre.com/pics_old.html
Also, they have posted a rendering of the new interior: http://www.georgiatheatre.com/rebuilding.html
Here is a link to that: http://bit.ly/uqkDi
While it was the Lefont, it was run by Hoyt for a time.
View link 1910 Advertisement with photo
The Strand was open as early as 1916 and closed in 1954. The building appears to still stand, heavily altered.
The Ritz opened in September, 1941 and closed in November, 1956. It was later known as One Love Music Hall, 346 Club, and The Ritz.
The building was built in 1889, and opened in 1894 as the south’s first YMCA. It also contained 2 large retail spaces. It served that purpose until about 1915. Over the years the retail spaces functioned as a bank, offices, meat market, grocer, plumbing store, music store, department store, ice house, and morgue. In 1910, the Elite Theatre opened on the full ground floor, and the Majestic Hotel occupied the second and third. In 1926 the building was purchased by Masonic Temple Associated of Athens. In 1936 Publix subsidiary Lucas and Jenkins purchased the building and converted it into the Georgia Theatre, opening in September with a colored balcony. In the 1960s it also served as home to the Athens First United Methodist Church. In 1969 the Classic Theatre was built behind it. In October 1975 it showed its last film, “Brotherhood of Death”. It reopened as a dedicated music hall January 11, 1978 with the band Sea Level. It closed in 1980, then reopened March 11, 1981, closing again shortly thereafter. It next reopened April 9, 1982 as the Carafe & Draft, first under the Georgia Theatre Company and later under UA. In 1989 UA closed it and it reopened October 2, 1989 with seminal Athens band Pylon. The operations, incidentally, were headed by the people who ran the Uptown Lounge, itself housed in the former Paris Adult Theatre. In 2004 it was sold to Wilmot Greene and Randy Smith, who spnt the next 5 years on a renovation project that was just wrapping up when the fire hit.
The Palace opened in February 1921, was split in 1971, sold to Plitt in 1977, and closed in May 1987.
Their website will be http://thenew400.com/ but it is not yet up.
4 million, wow
View link
According to older articles about its history, the Georgia Theatre’s foundation dates to 1890, and was completed in 1894. It served as a YMCA until 1915, complete with an iron swimming pool in the basement. It then served uses from a morgue to a department store before being converted into a theatre in 1935. It began operating as a music venue starting in 1978. The B-52s personally sold all tickets for their first show there in order to get permission to play, due to the owner’s hesitance. A few years later, it began showing film again as the Carafe and Draft, and after 1984 it became exclusively a music venue, with performers such as Jane’s Addiction, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wynton Marsalis, The Ramones, Phish, and Dave Matthews Band, some while they were still unknowns.