Renovations uncover historical gem, hidden basement in old Pineville movie theatre

Melinda Martinez, Alexandria Town Talk
·5 min read
Jorge Rocha, owner of Ad Central, and his wife Hayley Jeffus Rocha have discovered that the art deco-style building located at 637 Main Street has a lot of value culturally and historically. It was built in the 1950s as a roofless movie theatre. They also discovered a hidden basement that had been sealed off with no way to access it. They also found several bottles of bourbon in the basement along with some crafts and ornaments.

Beneath the starry night sky back in the 1950s, movie-goers could watch their favorite Hollywood stars onscreen at the roofless theater in Pineville.

The building located at 637 Main St. is an art deco-style with a classic movie entrance. In recent years, it was the former Big Al’s Guns shop.

“When the theater started, it was a no-roof theater, so people could smoke. They had no roof, which is kind of weird,” said Jorge Rocha, owner of Ad Central, who now owns the building along with his wife, Hayley Jeffus Rocha.

What would happen if it rained? Rocha doesn't know, and there is no one is around who can answer that question.

The theater had no name in the 1950s, said Rocha. Then a contest was held and it was named the Hauber Theatre and later on, it became the Star Theatre.

“And I believe that the Star Theatre burned down in 1954,” Rocha said.

The fire damage is still visible on the roof, said Rocha. The building has been modified and built upon, but they don’t think the building has been properly renovated since the fire.

Despite the fire damage, the soot-covered wood is still structurally sound, Rocha said. They want to repurpose the wood and try to keep the history of the building intact, because it’s part of the building that holds a lot of value culturally and historically.

While renovating the building, they also discovered a hidden basement.

“It's a basement that you can tell has not been in use for so many years,” Rocha said.

Right above it they found cargo doors and all sorts of doors, but none could be used to access the basement at all. They also found some wooden ladders on its walls.

The Rochas have no idea why the area was closed up, but they have no plans to close it back up.

Upon renovating the art deco style building on Main Street in Pineville that in recent years was Big Al's Guns, Jorge Rocha discovered that there were two different basement levels connected by concrete stairs and old ladders. The basement was sealed with no way in or out. It is unknown what it was used for or why it was sealed.
Upon renovating the art deco style building on Main Street in Pineville that in recent years was Big Al's Guns, Jorge Rocha discovered that there were two different basement levels connected by concrete stairs and old ladders. The basement was sealed with no way in or out. It is unknown what it was used for or why it was sealed.

“It been sealed for quite a while. So far, we found some bottles of old bourbon,” he said.

“Now there's a few bottles that we haven't dated yet," Rocha said. "I haven't gotten to it. I did find a 1950s bottle of bourbon. We'll see what after we are done with all the removal of the debris and everything. Hopefully there’s something older.”

His middle school English teacher asked him if he was sure it wasn’t used as a speakeasy, because all it took were two chairs and a bottle to make one. Rocha said that if it were one, it would make sense.

In it they also found some old crafts and ornaments, like a little metal dog.

Once completed, the Rochas will again rebrand the building as the Star Theatre.

“We're gonna keep the the name of when it burned down - and hopefully won't burn down again,” Rocha said jokingly.

Rocha purchased the building at auction in 2017 or 2018 and recently began renovating it. They are doing everything they can to retain the main features of the building.

They plan to keep the brickwork on the inside exposed.

“We're keeping what's historically and culturally significant,” Rocha said.

That includes the segregated entrance on the outside of the building where a staircase used to be. Black people had to use it to enter the building if they wanted to watch the movies. To him, that is the most relevant and important piece of history they uncovered.

“You can see on the stucco where there used to be a set of stairs," he said, so that gave them a clue as to what it used to be.

“We have the doors, so what we did was we jackhammered the hole where that door used to be, and we put the door back so people would know and remember,” Rocha said.

Hayley Rocha said as a child she read a book from a Louisiana author who used this area as a setting for most of her books.

"She wrote a book that was focused on a Black family back in the ‘50s, and one of the scenes in the book was the family coming to Alexandria to go to the movies and talking about using the entrance for Black people and having to sit in the balcony,” she said.

Hayley Jeffus Rocha plans for the art deco-style building to house “a boutique gift shop with European imports and inspired items" once she and her husband Jorge Rocha are done renovating it. They plan to keep the exposed brickwork as part of the decor.
Hayley Jeffus Rocha plans for the art deco-style building to house “a boutique gift shop with European imports and inspired items" once she and her husband Jorge Rocha are done renovating it. They plan to keep the exposed brickwork as part of the decor.

“It seems so distant sometimes when you read it in history books,” Rocha said. “People sometimes often fail to remember that that was pretty much part of modern history.”

The former projection room, where the fire most likely started, and the actual theater all burned down in 1954, Rocha said, and was in dire need of repairs, but they have made progress.

The renovation has been quite a journey for the Rochas.

“Hopefully, by the end of year, this is going to be in really good shape,” he said. “It’s coming along nicely."

“Once we’re done with the renovation, it will be one of the places with the most historical, cultural significance where people can just kind of travel back in time a little bit.”

Hayley Rocha plans for the building to house “a boutique gift shop with European imports and inspired items.”

“I think it makes sense for for Main Street Pineville to to bring back the idea that Main Street can have shopping and eateries,” Rocha said. “And just bring back the essence of what Main Street ought to be. Slowly but surely we're getting there, and hopefully by the end of year.”

The Rochas also have a restaurant, Lil’ Chubby’s, coming to downtown Pineville that will open next year in the building that once housed the beauty supply store, Beauty Plus, at 701 Main St.

“If you go in there, you are going to get a medley of classic, crinkles, waffles, curleys and tater tots and a whole bunch of dipping sauces,” he said.

These two buildings aren’t the only ones the Rochas will be renovating.

“There's going to be more downtown Pineville development on the horizon, even even after we're done with this,” Rocha said.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Renovations uncover historical gem in old Pineville movie theatre