State Theatre
453 N. Liberty Street,
Winston-Salem,
NC
27101
453 N. Liberty Street,
Winston-Salem,
NC
27101
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: North Carolina Theatres, Paramount Pictures Inc., Piedmont Amusement Co. Inc., Publix-Saenger, Wilby-Kincey
Previous Names: Auditorium Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Auditorium Theatre opened January 28, 1918. Listed in the 1930 Film Daily Yearbook with 1,500 seats. Taken over by Publix-Saenger and following a refurbishment, it reopened on April 21, 1930 and renamed State Theatre, reopening with Janet Gaynor in “High Society Blues”. It was later operated by Wilby-Kincey Theatres.
The State Theatre closed on December 13, 1952.
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
The Auditorium Theater was later known as State Theater. After the State closed it was a furniture store called State Furniture. For some reason I was in there once, and I remember the furniture being displayed on the downward slope of the former orchestra-level floor. I wish I could have seen a movie there but the theater must have closed when I was a child.
The book “Winston-Salem in Vintage Postcards,” by Molly Grogan Rawls, says that the Auditorium Theatre was built on the site of the Elks Auditorium after the old theater burned down on April 27, 1916.
The lettering “AUDITORIUM” on the facade was in the ancient Roman style, where the U would look like a V. That made an impression on me as a child: it confused me, so I would always look up when I passed the building.
I guess it to was torn down for a parking Lot.
I recently looked at this location and investigated old pictures. This parking deck seems to have been built on sites which contained the State (to the north) and Colonial Theaters(and all the stores in between).
The Auditorium Theatre opened January 28th, 1918. Reopened as the State Theatre April 21st, 1930.
April 20th, 1930 grand opening ad:
Closed December 13th, 1952.
State theatre closing 14 Dec 1952, Sun Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) Newspapers.com
Once operated by North Carolina Theatres.