Movie theater

Local businessman and owner of Strowd Motor Company Bruce Strowd and Chapel Hill Mayor William S. Robeson decided to open a new movie theater, to compete with the nearby Pickwick Theatre. The property was purchased in October 1915 and by December construction was begun on the building, which was also to include a new auto station and repair...

The former Standard Theater (background, left side), April 1941 (screen shot from H. Lee Waters movie) The Standard Theater opened July 4, 1924, and was originally owned by local African American entrepreneur Durwood O'Kelly; other business partners were Charles Brooks (the builder/contractor of the building), and Jesse Kirkland (the brick mason...

1950s (Richard Ellington via http://carrborocommons.mj.unc.edu/?p=8967) (Below from the Carrboro Commercial National Register Nomination) Constructed in the early 1920s, this trio of two-story adjoining buildings comprised Carrboro's first true commercial block. Except for minor variations all of the units are identical. The easternmost building...

The Hollywood Theatre, May 1940 (photo by Jack Delano, courtesy of the Library of Congress) The Hollywood Theater was located in Carrboro on East Main Street (also known as West Franklin Street at the time), near the merge with Rosemary Street. It began operation in 1939, and was opened to cater to Black patrons at the same time the Standard...

The theater outgrew its second location, and another theater, the Tar Heel Theatre, was opening so Brockwell purchased a lot across the street in October 1915, with plans to start a new theater in a new building to be built on the lot. By December, construction was underway on the building, touted as the largest movie theater in the state. By the...

Built in April to September 1927, it was constructed for property owner William B. Sorrell by local contractor Charles Martindale (Jo Fernandez was the "decorator"). It opened the night of September 22, 1927. In addition to the theater, the building housed Jeff Thomas's Jeff's Campus Confectionary (in the right side), W. B. Sorrell's Optometry and...

The Pickwick Theatre was Orange County's first movie theater, and was located on East Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill. It began operation in 1909, and was owned by Samuel J. Brockwell. "The Pick" offered motion pictures and/or live music and also "illustrated songs" during its early years. The movies shown were silent films (until 1930)...

The Parkvue Drive-In Theatre opened on September 15, 1950. It was located three miles west of Chapel Hill on Highway 54 (a.k.a. the Greensboro Road). It had spaces for 280 cars, with a concessions stand and other facilities such as a children's playground. The business was owned/operated by J. W. Thompson and C. M. Rumley on land leased from J. D...

The Valley Drive-In Theatre was opened in 1954. It was owned and operated by Robert C. Eubanks and J. W. Thompson. April 5, 1957 ad 1955 aerial photo excerpt (theater is to the right of the interchange) In March 1961, Eubanks Thompson dissolved their business partnership, with Eubanks apparently retaining the business. The theater closed in 1962...

Henry "Buddy" Guthrie operated this movie theater. It was built circa 1916 and operated until 1924; its demise may have been due to that it was "under suspicion of being conducted improperly and a menace to public morals" by the town (Willie Williams was likely hanging out in front of this theater location on November 15, 1924, when he was stabbed...