Sylvan Theater

According to local history buff Warren LeMay:

Douglas O. Ellington may be known for his notable Art Deco commissions in Asheville, but the architect also designed this humble building located adjacent to the intersection of Mill Street and Main Street in downtown Sylva, North Carolina. The building was constructed in 1927 by J. S. Higdon as the 500-seat Sylvan Theater, which competed with the nearby Lyric Theater for business. However, the building changed hands rapidly, coming under the ownership of former manager Edwin B. Drake in 1928, before being purchased by Harry E. Buchanan, owner of the Lyric Theater, in 1929. By 1933, the Sylvan Theater was no longer in operation, with the Lyric Theatre remaining as the sole movie theater in town until it was supplanted by the Ritz Theater in 1941.

The building does have an upper floor, as indicated by the front facade, but this originally was just home to a small projection room, with the rear portion of the building having a full-height room for movie screenings. The building was converted as use as two retail storefronts after the theater closed, with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Public Library taking up residence in the building from the 1950’s through the 1970’s. The building was also variously home to an optometrist, clothing store, and an insurance agency, but is today home to Papou’s Wine Shop and The Wilderness Society. The building did have its facade covered with a metal screen from 1971 until around 2006, when the building’s facade was restored to its original appearance.

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