Family Drive-In

Here’s a summary of Somerset’s drive-in history, as printed in the Commonwealth-Journal of July 13, 1986. (The original article failed to notice that the Family and Lakeview were both built in 1951, so I skipped over those erroneous notes.)

“Ben Johnson … operated Family Drive-In from 1961 to 1965 for his father, who owned the outdoor theater from … 1953. When the lights of the new Tradewind shopping center interfered with movies showing across U.S. 27 at the Family Drive-In the theater closed and was replaced by Hardee’s and Cumberland Security Bank, Johnson said. He then purchased Lakeview Drive-In from its builders and owners, Hogan Teater, J.T. Pollard and Ralph Eller … Prior to Johnson’s purchase, Lakeview was being operated by Harry Roaden, whose uncle, O.G. Roaden, leased the theater from Teater. Pollard and Eller between 1956 and 1966. As Johnson took over at Lakeview, Roaden built 27 Twin Drive-In in 1967. He added a second screen in 1981.”