Marquee ceremony shines light on rebirth of Elba Theatre

ELBA, Alabama — After more than a decade of steady progress, the lights finally came back on at the Elba Theatre in an official marquee lighting event June 29.

The restoration of the Elba Theatre on the courthouse square began 12 years ago under the direction of local nonprofit Restoration 154.  Board members Justin Maddox and Laurie Chapman spearheaded the theater project.

Residents gathered to celebrate as the marquee lit up downtown Elba, marking the completion of phase two of renovation efforts. Elba Mayor Tom Maddox said the event was an exciting time for the town as attendees gathered in front of the theater on Court Avenue.

Restoration 154’s Chapman said, “The sheer number of people who showed up for our ceremony is a testament to what this magical space means to our community. The future is very bright for Elba, so bring your sunglasses.”

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The marquee was designed and installed by Fravert, a Birmingham-based architectural signage design and build company. Catrett Construction from Opp, Alabama, installed the structural steel to support the new addition.

The theater was purchased in 2011 by the Restoration 154’s Maddox and Philip Box and became the nonprofit’s first project.  Maddox said, “We saw the theater come up for sale, and we were interested in trying to do something with it. That’s when we determined we needed to start up a nonprofit.”

The first step was securing grants for the theater and bringing the building up to code. “Our plans right now are to hopefully use the space for more programming. We do want to continue fundraising for construction, but the space will accommodate most events that we would have right now,” Maddox explained. So far, the theater is providing a civic space for events such as banquets, exhibits and performances.

“We want to keep focusing on making the space better every year. Doing the balcony, getting the video equipment, and getting the stage set up for small theatrical productions,” Maddox added.

The crowd attending the lighting ceremony, Chapman said, shows the theater holds a special significance, intertwined with personal experiences and memories. The ongoing renovation efforts will allow future generations to appreciate the cultural and historic significance of the space, she added.

The ceremony brought together many individuals who had a personal connection to the theater during its operational years. The original Elba Theatre opened on Feb. 13, 1925, with J. Warren Kerrigan in “The Covered Wagon”. Brackin Theaters was the longest running operator of the Elba Theatre, overseeing it for 27 years, from April 20, 1936, to June 20, 1963.

Jimmy Hudson, a resident of Elba, reflected on his past experiences at the lighting ceremony remembering how everyone in the community loved seeing the movies.  Betty Hudson recalled her first job was at the theater selling popcorn.  She said, “One Saturday, I sold $91 worth of popcorn at 10 cents a bag from 10 o’clock in the morning till 10 o’clock at night.”

Nell Gilmer, a member of the Historical Preservation Committee under the Chamber of Commerce, said she had fond memories of the theater in part because it was “the only air-conditioned building in town.” She added, “I remember the first in-color picture that came to town, “Song of the South”. It was beautiful. The 4H Club and all the county schools went to the Elba Theatre to watch the movie. I was just so impressed.”

One of Restoration 154’s next steps is collecting even more memories of the early years of the theater.  Those memories can be submitted on the Elba Theatre web site.

Justin Maddox, who grew up in Elba, had no idea it was previously a theater before purchasing it with Restoration 154. “It had always just been storage space during my life,” he said.

“We spent a lot of time at the library looking at old articles so we could get the theater listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage,” he explained. “I went through deeds in the courthouse to try and figure out who operated it as a theater.”

Chapman said, “It’s quite a challenge to make all the grant deadlines, contractor timelines, and ongoing events work together in harmony, but we are so grateful to each organization that provided funding. We could not have done it without the tremendous support that we got from all the groups.”

The assistance of sponsors and grants was essential for the realization of the project. Grant funding for the marquee, ticketing booth, and catering kitchen was generously provided by several organizations, including The Fox Theatre Institute, The Alabama State Council on the Arts, Southface Institute, The Daniel Foundation, The Alabama Historical Commission, and Wiregrass RC&D.

Mikailie Caulder, a Living Democracy student at Auburn University, is living and learning this summer in Elba, Alabama, as a Jean O'Connor Snyder Intern with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, prepares undergraduate college students for civic life through living-learning experiences in the summer.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Marquee ceremony shines light on rebirth of Elba Theatre