Franklin Theatre

100 E.. 4th Avenue,
Franklin, VA 23851

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Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 28, 2023 at 12:01 am

An article about Hal J. Lyon in the December 3, 1955 issue of Boxoffice said that he had taken over operation of the Franklin Theatre under a lease in 1929, and later bought the house outright. He opened the Lyon’s State Theatre in 1937, after which the Franklin operated only intermittently, though Lyon still owned the house in 1964, as was noted in an issue of Boxoffice that year.

SethG
SethG on February 27, 2023 at 12:28 pm

Address is wrong. The building was at 100 E 4th. Looks like it was replaced by the bank by the ‘70s or '80s (that fake colonial style is hard to pin down).

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 1, 2017 at 5:00 pm

The December 4, 1920, issue of The Moving Picture World said that a Franklin Theatre at Franklin, Virginia, was being run by a Mr. M. H. Eppstein of Richmond, Virginia.

It is possible that this theater was replaced in 1921, though I’ve found only one notice about the project, this from the February 26 issue of The American Contractor:

“Suffolk, Va.—Theater (M. P.) & Playhouse: $25,000. 1 sty. 55x90. Franklin. Va. Archt. Riddick & Breeden, Suffolk. Owner Franklin Amusement Corp., J. A. Pretlow, pres., H. H. Eppstein, mgr., Franklin. Sen. contr. let to E. C. Smith, Franklin.”