Center Theater
225 W. Main Street,
Albemarle,
NC
28001
225 W. Main Street,
Albemarle,
NC
28001
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Stewart and Everett
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: New Stanly Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Replacing an earlier Stanly Theatre which was destroyed by fire in 1930. Opened on December 19, 1930 as the New Stanly Theatre with Eddie Quillan in “Big Money”. It was remodeled in 1948. It retained the Stanly Theatre name until 1960 when it was remodeled and reopened on October 7, 1960, renamed Center Theater. It was part of the Stewart & Everett chain until it closed on January 27, 1981 with Jack Palance in “Without Warning”.
The building has been vacant and boarded up since 2009 and remains that way in 2024.
Contributed by
Ken McIntyre
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
There is a long abandon theatre with an art deco façade at 227-9 West Main. Could this be the former Center/Stanley? If this is the case the status should be changed from Closed/Demolished to just Closed.
This building was not the Center theater and has never been a theater. This building was novalilty store. The Center theater was across the street and a block down. Albemarle has had several different theaters over the years. An open air theater, Albemarle Opera house, Columbia, Stanly, Center, Victoria, Lyric and the Roxy. I have photos of many of these and will post. The Stanly opened in 1930 to replace the Columbia that was two building down the street, West Main. The Stanly burned in the late 30’s and was rebuilt. In the 60’s it was closed, redone and reopened as the Center. The Victoria was on East Main and later became the Roxy. Lyric was on South Second Street. Alameda is on North Second Street.
The stone floor at the entrance of the Stanly/Center theater fell in this past summer. The building is in bad shape and is not for sale.
Two other theaters have been found in Albemarle, The Bijou and the Majestic. Bijou was open in 1908 and the Majestic was located in the Opera house.
The Building Vac and Dash is in was the Columbia Theatre. The Smith and Biles families built the Stanly Theatre and the owner of Columbia closed and managed the Stanly.
Artman: The Center Theatre in Downtown Albemarle remained opened until 1982. The opening of the Eastgate Cinemas was the demise of the Center’s closing and downtown’s only moviehouse to that time. The Stanly was burned to the ground in the late-1930’s and was rebuilt and reopened during the 1940’s as the Center Theatre. The Center Theatre was Albemarle’s only first-run cinema and it stayed in business throughout the 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s and all the way toward the early-1980’s until it closed. By the late-1970’s Stewart & Everett(which operated this theatre)turned the Center Theatre into a second-run discount house until it closed.
Per this article http://www.thesnaponline.com/news/local_news/art-teacher-captures-history-of-downtown-movie-theatres/article_9605c050-3c84-11e6-a621-4f4a2172c15b.html the building is not demolished, just derelict.
Also, correct address is 225 W Main St.