The Colonial Theatre is a three-story, 14,571 square foot brick building located in the central business district of the Town of South Hill in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. The building stands as the tallest structure in the Revitalization area near the intersection of Mecklenburg and Danville Streets.
The Town of South Hill developed at the turn of the century with the arrival of the Atlantic and Danville Railroad in 1889. Railroad financiers and engineers laid out the 56-acre town in a 1-¼ mile circle around the depot, and the town was incorporated in 1901. Situated in a region rich in tobacco and lumber resources, the town grew quickly as a shipping and manufacturing center.
Gilbert A. Saunders, a prominent local citizen, built the Colonial Theatre in 1925 for $10,000. The theater replaced an earlier 1913 frame movie house and bowling alley that had burned, and it served as the only theater in the Mecklenburg County area for over two decades. Saunders also built the Lincoln Hotel, which conveniently provided lodging across the street from the theater. Unconfirmed rumors indicate there was a tunnel under the street connecting the theater and hotel.
The Colonial Theatre was originally constructed to house live entertainment, including vaudeville and music productions, and later progressed with the times to show silent movies and modern motion pictures. In addition to the lobby and theater auditorium, the structure also included the post office at one time in the ground floor storefront, as well as office space and a social hall on the upper floors. Insurance agents and lawyers were typical tenants of the office spaces on the second floor. The Atlantic and Danville Railroad made possible the vast number of performances held at the Colonial, which included such well-known entertainers as Joan Crawford, Clara Bow, Louis Homer, Vilma Banky, Ronald Colman, Tex Ritter, Minnie Pearl, and Jack Ritchie and the Texas Rhythm Rangers.
The Colonial Theatre Building played an important role in the community of South Hill. The theater provided imaginative escape and exposure to the culture of the world. In the 1930’s, the theater promoted a public clean-up campaign by sponsoring “Tin Can Movies” on Fridays when free admission was granted to children bringing in twenty-five tin cans. The theater also supported the war effort in the early 1940’s by offering free admission for donations of scrap iron.
The theater was designed in the Commercial Style with a variety of elements from the late 19th and early 20th century American movement. Patterned dark red brickwork and contrasting light stone corner blocks around the windows and tablets serve to enliven the façade. With the exception of the entrance to the theater, the original design and materials remain intact on the exterior. The roof over the stage and auditorium was in a deteriorated condition causing extensive damage to the interior. The roof was recently replaced with a metal roof similar in design to the original.
The interior of the building features an entrance vestibule, hallway, lobby, auditorium with balcony, and stage in the theater section. Gilbert A. Saunders remodeled the theater in 1933 and installed a new screen as well as lighting and sound systems. The original metal seats with decorative stanchions on the aisle seats remain intact in the stage. Interior finishes include ceramic tile floors, wood paneling in the vestibule and lobby, and pressed tin ceilings. The interior retains its original plan, design, and materials for the most part. The auditorium and stage as well as some areas of the office space have deteriorated due to the water damage from the leaking roof.
In 2001, the South Hill Civic Center raised $75,000 to purchase the Colonial Theatre which they donated to the present owner, the South Hill Community Development Authority. The Colonial Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. Some grant funding has been awarded and renovation of the historic building has begun. Plans are being made to use the Colonial Center as a venue for the visual and performing arts as well as the Town's Visitor Center. Additional fundraising, including a major capital campaign, is currently taking place. Anyone interested in making a tax deductible donation should contact Mayor Earl Horne at (434) 447-3191.
