Park Theatre NR nomination

8/14/2019 Park Theatre NR nomination

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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 10024-0018(Oct. 2012)

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park Service

National Register of Historic PlacesRegistration FormThis form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete theNational Register of Historic Places registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking x in the appropriate box or

by entering the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter N/A for not applicable. For functions,architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additionalentries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items.

1. Name of Property

historic name The Park Theaterother names/site number

2. Location

street & number 2312 Cedar Street not for publicationcity or town McKenzie vicinitystate Tennessee code TN county Carroll code 145 zip code 38201

3. State/Federal Agency Certification

As the designated authority under the Nat ional Histor ic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that thisnomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in theNational Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set for in 36 CFR Part 60. Inmy opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property beconsidered significant nationally statewide locally. (See continuation sheet for additional comments.)

Signature of certifying official/Title Date

State Historic Preservation Officer, Tennessee Historical CommissionState or Federal agency and bureau

In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. ( See Continuation sheet foradditional comments.)

Signature of certifying official/Title Date

State or Federal agency and bureau

4. National Park Service CertificationI hereby certify that the property is:

entered in the National Register.

See continuation sheet

Signature of the Keeper Date of Action

determined eligible for theNational Register.

See continuation sheetdetermined not eligible for the

National Registerremoved from the National

Register.

other (explain:)


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Park Theater Carroll County, TennesseeName of Property County and State

5. Classification

Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property(Check as many boxes asapply)

(Check only one box) (Do not include previously listed resources in count)

private building(s) Contributing Noncontributing

public-local districtpublic-State site 1 buildingspublic-Federal structure sites

object structuresobjects

1 0 Total

Name of related multiple property listing Number of Contributing resources previously listed (Enter N/A if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) in the National Register N/A 0

6. Function or Use

Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)

RECREATION AND CULTURE: Theater VACANT

7. Description

Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)

MODERN MOVEMENT: Streamlined Moderne foundation CONCRETEMODERN MOVEMENT: Art Deco walls BRICK

roof ASPHALTother

Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)


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8. Statement of Significance

Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark x in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property (Enter categories from instructions) for National Register listing.)

A Property is associated with events that have made ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONa significant contribution to the broad patterns of SOCIAL HISTORYour history. ARCHITECTURE

B Property is associated with the lives of personssignificant in our past.

C Property embodies the distinctive characteristicsof a type, period, or method of construction orrepresents the work of a master, or possesseshigh artistic values, or represents a significant anddistinguishable entity whose components lack Period of Significance individual distinction. 1941-1962

D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield,

information important in prehistory or history.Criteria Considerations N/A Significant Dates (Mark x in all boxes that apply.) 1941remodeling of original building for theaterProperty is:

A owned by a religious institution or used forreligious purposes.

Significant Person B removed from its original location. (complete if Criterion B is marked)

C a birthplace or graveCultural Affiliation

D a cemetery.

E a reconstructed building, object, or structure.

F a commemorative propertyArchitect/Builder

G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance Architect: Clarence Speight, Speight and Hibbswithin the past 50 years. Contractor: Hubert Owen

Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)

9. Major Bibliographical References

Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.)

Previous documentation on file (NPS): N/A Primary location of additional data: preliminary determination of individual listing (36 State Historic Preservation Office

CFR 67) has been requested Other State Agencypreviously listed in the National Register Federal AgencyPreviously determined eligible by the National Local Government

Register Universitydesignated a National Historic Landmark Otherrecorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository:# City of McKenzie; MTSU Center for Historic Preservationrecorded by Historic American Engineering

Record #


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10. Geographical Data

Acreage of Property Less than 1 acre McKenzie, Tenn. 36088-B5-TF-024

UTM References (place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.)

1 3Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing2 4

See continuation sheet

Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.)

Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)

11. Form Prepared By

name/title Elizabeth Moore Humphreys, Projects Coordinator; Cassandra Bennett, Graduate Assistantorganization Center for Historic Preservation date January 23, 2012street & number MTSU Box 80 telephone 615-898-2947city or town Murfreesboro state TN zip code 37132

Additional Documentation submit the following items with the completed form:

Continuation Sheets

Maps A USGS map (7.5 0r 15 minute series) indicating the propertys location

A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources.

Photographs

Representative black and white photographs of the property.

Additional items(Check with the SHPO) or FPO for any additional items

Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.)

name Industrial Development Board, City of McKenziestreet & number Highland Drive, Suite 1500 telephonecity or town McKenzie state TN zip code 38201

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominateproperties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listing. Response to this request is required to obtaina benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq. )

Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including time for reviewinginstructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspectof this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P. O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office ofManagement and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20303.


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NPS FORM 10-900-A OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 (8-86)

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service

National Register of Historic PlacesContinuation Sheet

Section number 7 Page 1

Park Theater

Carroll County, Tennessee

7. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION

The Park Theater is located on the north corner of Cedar and North Main Streets in McKenzie,Carroll County, Tennessee, facing southwest toward the Downtown Veterans Memorial Park. ThePark Theater is in a moderate Art Deco style designed by the architectural firm, Speight and Hibbsof Clarksville, Tennessee. The remodeling began the first week of February 1941 and opened tothe public five months later on July 3, 1941. Prior to the remodel, the building functioned as afifteen car dealership and a wholesale grocer. While the specific date of construction is unknown, itwas built sometime after 1910. By 1926, Chevolet Sales and Services operated in the building; inthe following years, Lovelace-Farmer Wholesale Grocery did as well. 1 The rectangular buildingmeasures 995 by 50 2 and originally sat approximately 600 patrons, had three office spaces onthe second floor, and a small southeast corner office on the ground floor. The building is on aconcrete slab foundation and has brick exteriors. The southwest facing elevation has a remodeledstorefront and replacement marquee; above the marquee, the front wall is finished with verticalbrick detailing painted off-white. The storefront and lobby were remodeled c. 2005 but the city isexploring options to restore the structure.

The commercial two-part vertical block building faces southwest onto Cedar Street and has twostories, with an elevation of thirty feet. 3 The building was originally two storefronts, the fifteen cargarage and a small store at the southeast corner of the block. The store has since beenincorporated into the main portion of the building. The marquee and windows divide the elevationinto two zones. The ground level storefront has been altered and has a concrete/stucco faadethat covers the original box office and southeast corner office (see 1944 Sanborn Map). 4 The off-centered double doors reflect the 1941 layout which made room for the corner office. The lobbydoors have been replaced c. 2005 with metal-framed double doors and new tinted glass. Thedoors are flanked on either side by two metal-framed display windows. Two similarly constructedtransom windows are even with the fixed panes. To the west, a single metal-framed glass doorprovides access to the second floor offices.

A red and white Park Theatre marquee spans the width of the building (50 feet) and overhangs thetwo-thirds of the sidewalk. The marquee was replaced c. 1990 after a passing truck damaged theoriginal. While not original to the building, it resembles the original marquee seen in historicphotographs. It extends out from the building at right angles and then both sides angle inwardsuntil its angles again to run parallel with the faade. The vertical surfaces have a red background,with the most prominent feature being the white THEATRE on the front-most side, with neon

1 Sanborn Map Company, McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: January 1910, (New York: The Sanborn MapCompany, 1910); and Sanborn Map Company, McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October 1926, (New York: The SanbornMap Company, 1926).

2 Mark W. Hawks, Floor Plans , Building Renovation: The McKenzie Theater. Design Consultants, Inc.3 Hawks, Floor Plans.4 Sanborn Ma Com an McKenzie Carroll Count Tennessee: October 1926 with 1944 Correction New York: The


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lights that stencil the letters. On either side, PARK is centered above the angled portion of themarquee and centered over attraction panels with space for four lines of text. Three white barsaccent the open space and run horizontally.

The second story five-bay faade and windows are original to the 1941 remodel and maintain the Art Deco design elements. The bricks are painted an off-white color. With the exception of thewindows flanking the center set, all windows are three-light awning windows. The central baycontains set of triple windows with a wide three-light window flanked on either side by a narrowerthree-light fixed window. The flanking bays each contain a narrow three-light awning window.

The structures exterior Art Deco elements are contained to this front elevation; the buildingsverticality is emphasized by fluting reminiscent of classical columns that extends from the tops ofthe windows and ends at the roofline. These details emphasize the buildings modern architecturalstyle against the other early twentieth century structures on its row of commercial buildings. Thesecond-story central bay is slightly recessed from the facade; here the central set of windows istopped with concrete paneling that transitions into corbelled brick columns. On either side of theconcrete paneling are round mounting anchors from the original marquee. The brick corbelling andvertical flutes above the left and right window sets draw the eye upward. These windows providelight to the second story office space. Brickwork on the front elevation is laid in American stretcherbond. The brick faade extends above the wall into a parapet, capped with concrete copping.

The southeast elevation facing Main Street has a brick elevation laid in American stretcherbond. Concrete stucco, from the storefront, wraps around the first few first; the remainder of theelevation is brick, interrupted only by a second-story three-light awning window toward the front ofthe structure and double doors near the rear of the elevation. Running the length of the groundfloor, six or seven bricked in windows are visible. Concrete coping switches to metal coping feetfrom the corner and caps the sloping parapet to the rear of the elevation.

The rear elevation facing northeast brickwork is laid mostly in American stretcher bond but thepresence of numerous bricked in windows, two second-story entryways, and four window sillsinterrupts the pattern. There are two modern rear entry single doors, one on either end of theelevation and exterior access to the basement. A brick chimney is visible from the back lot.

The interior has undergone some remodeling, with the lobby being renovated in c. 2005. Theoriginal exterior box office, bathrooms, and concession stand have been removed and replacedwith an interior box office, new bathrooms, and a snack bar. In addition, a closet has been added.Entering from the street through the double doors, the entryway slopes up and levels with the restof the floor. When the theater was segregated, the white balcony was accessed through the lobby.From the lobby, the theater is accessed through original double doors on either side of the snackbar. A clock original to the 1941 theater has been placed above the snack bar.


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The main auditorium, though under renovation, reflects a combination of Art Deco and StreamlineModerne styles in architectural finishing and color scheme present at the 1941 opening. Unlike theexterior, the auditorium has a pronounced Streamline Modern influence as seen in the lightingfixtures, horizontality of lines, and rounded features flanking the stage.

The original Art Deco color scheme is seen in the pale green and blue above and below the deepred band that expands horizontally along the sidewalls from the stage to the balcony. Thebalconys auditorium-facing front railing is painted the same deep red while an additional band onthe side walls, lighter in tone, rises from the balcony and makes a rounded right angle to extend tothe rear of the auditorium. At opening, it was described in the McKenzie Banner as a Moderninterior ! finished in a pale green. Though the original aisle carpet is not present, it complementedthe green to carry out the color scheme. 5

Accent lighting fixtures emphasize the horizontality and rounded corners of the red band andcontinue the Streamline Modern style. The half-circle fixtures are the same pale green as the top-most parts of the elevation and employ three horizontal bands. These bands extend several feetfrom the fixture towards the rear of the auditorium, tapering off in a stepped fashion. Each sideelevation northwest and southeast has three fixtures; two in the main auditorium and one in thebalcony.

All upholstery (chairs and carpet) has been removed due to poor condition. The chairs arecurrently in storage offsite and most are beyond repair; once the renovations are complete,examples of the three different styles will be reinstalled. In addition, the original ceiling tiles havebeen removed due to their condition, exposing the rafters of the roof and balcony.

The original stage, at the northeast end of the theater, is still extant and is painted black. On eitherside are single door openings that access the backstage area, sound equipment, and exit to theback lot and alley. The stage is narrow, limiting its use to the screening of movies. Historic,possibly original, red and white draw curtains remain intact but the screen is a replacement.

The balcony cantilevers out over the main auditorium and is built with wood trusses. It originally satapproximately 200 patrons. The original projection equipment remains intact. The projection roomis off-centered, sitting to the west. The southeast section of the balcony was historically segregatedfor African American patrons a segregated stairwell at the north of this area establishes theperimeter of the section. Prior to renovations, these stairs extended straight down, exited ontoCedar Street, and to south of the original box office. The bottom half of the staircase was removedto make room for a womens restroom in the downstairs lobby area. The segregated restroomsremain intact and are located on the landing between the first and second story.

The second story office space is accessed via a street level single-door at the west-most portion ofthe Cedar Street storefront. The hallway, three offices, two restrooms, and two storage closets sit


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between the balcony and lobby. The floors are hardwood and the walls are painted green or tan.The ceilings in the restrooms, closets, and north most portion of the south office slope upward asthe balcony increases in height.

Although the lobby and original storefront of the theater have been remodeled, the upper part ofthe exterior and the auditorium retain much of the stylization of the original theater. It retains itsintegrity of location, setting, feeling, and association.


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8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The Park Theater, established in 1941, is being nominated for the National Register of HistoricPlaces under Criterion A for its local significance in entertainment/recreation and social history andunder Criterion C for architecture. From its opening, the theater proved to be significant in therecreational and cultural history of McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee. The theater was acenter for entertainment in McKenzie and represents the importance of movie theaters in smallsouthern towns during the mid-twentieth century. Its opening in 1941 by the Rockwood

Amusement Company follows national shifts in theater ownership and management in the mid-twentieth century and parallels trends in the development and distribution of mass media andentertainment. It served a role in the social history of the community, both as a segregated facilityand as an information center during World War II. The theater is also locally significant for its ArtDeco design by prominent theater architects Speight and Hibbs. Remodeled in 1941, the buildingrepresents the early modern period of design in McKenzie. For the 1941 opening, the buildingunderwent extensive renovations and remodeling, transforming the Lovelace-Farmer WholesaleGrocery Companys store into one of the finest show houses in Tennessee outside of the largercities.6 The period of significance ranges from the theaters opening in 1941 to 1962.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

Rockwood Amusement, Inc. purchased a parcel of land and brick building in downtown McKenzie,at the north corner of Cedar and North Main Street, in March 1940. According to Sanborn maps,the building was constructed sometime between 1910 and 1926 as a 15-car Chevrolet dealership.In 1940 when Rockwood Amusement purchased the site, Lovelace-Farmer & Company occupiedthe building owned by C. H. and Nannie Bateman; the grocer had operated in McKenzie for twentyyears and planned to construct are warehouse near one of the railroads in town. 7 The property wasowned by a Rockwood company for the next forty years. In 1951, Rockwood Amusements, Inc.underwent a liquidation, which established Kermit C. Stengel as the sole stockholder for $1.00; thecompany transferred all of the property, in five different cities, to Stengel on November 3. 8 Twodays later, November 5, Rockwood Theatres, Inc. had been incorporated in Tennessee andpurchased all of the recently liquidated property from Stengel for $1.00. 9 The Park Theaterproperty in McKenzie, Tennessee was one of these transferred tracts of land. The theater wassold out of Rockwoods ownership on November 26, 1984, when Rockwood Theatres, Inc.transferred this tract of land and the Park There Building to Rayburn A. and Brenda Kaye OBrien

6 McKenzie Banner , July 4, 1941, page 1.7 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 77, Page 1, March 21, 1940; and McKenzie Banner , December 6, 1940, 1; and

McKenzie Banner , March 29, 1940, 1.8 Warrant Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100 Pa e 323-326 November 3 1951.


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for $10 despite its appraised value of $31,500. 10 The building is now owned by the City ofMcKenzie Industrial Development Board.

The Rockwood Amusement Company and the Opening of the Park Theater

Before Rockwood Amusement Company opened the Park Theater, the Old McKenzie Theaterrented the ground floor and balcony of the Caledonia Masonic Lodge as early as 1926. 11 TheMcKenzie Theater, at the north end of Broadway Street (no longer extant), had seating for lessthan 400 moviegoers and advertised in towns as far away as Huntingdon, Carroll County seatsixteen miles away. It was owned by former mayor, Douglas Moore. 12 By 1941, McKenzie was thecountys largest city, population 1,858, and had the capacity to support a larger theater. 13

According to Joe Williams, who worked at both theaters in McKenzie, Rockwood Amusementshired the projectionists, ticket seller, ticket taker, and the popcorn maker (himself) from the OldMcKenzie Theater to work at the Park Theater. 14 The company likely brought Roy Johnson fromNashville to help transition from the McKenzie Theater to the new Park Theater; Johnson appearsin the McKenzie Banner as early as July 1940 announcing an increase in ticket prices and thefollowing month, successfully petitioning the City Council to allow the showing of movies onSunday. 15 Both of these appearances indicate Rockwoods attempt make the McKenzie cinematicatmosphere compatible with company-wide standards. After these adjustments had been madeand the Park Theater was well established in the mid-1940s, Ed Clericuzio replaced Johnson. 16

The opening of the new Park Theater also follows national trends in theater ownership andmanagement in the mid-twentieth century. Like many theaters during this period, the new theaterwas owned by a large company, the Rockwood Amusement Company, a member of an exhibitorcircuit that operated theaters in five southern states. This was a major shift from the old McKenzieTheater that was under the ownership of local individuals. With this shift, theaters became majorbusiness ventures, as the local newspaper described the opening of the Park Theater as thebiggest business development in McKenzie for the past decade. It was expected to enhance thetowns business district and was to be operated under local management but owned by Rockwood

Amusement, a Nashville company.

The history of the company is somewhat controversial for its role in a critical Supreme Court casethat enforced federal antitrust laws within the film industry. The Rockwood Amusement Companywas involved in an antitrust lawsuit filed in 1939 and argued in the United States Supreme Court in

10 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 216, Page 208, November 26, 1984.11 McKenzie Sanborn Maps.12 McKenzie Banner , December 6, 1940; Personal Interview with Joe F. Williams, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.13 Charles Spurgeon Johnson, and Lewis Wade Jones, Statistical Atlas of Southern Counties; Listing and Analysis of

Socio-Economic Indices of 1104 Southern Counties, (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1941).14 Personal Interview with Joe F. Williams, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.15 McKenzie Banner Jul 4 194 1 and McKenzie Banner Au ust 30 1940 1.


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1944. 17 The case, United States v. Crescent Amusement Co. et al involved seven amusementcompanies operating in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee specializing insmall town movie theaters. 18 These exhibitors were found to be in violation of the Sherman

Antitrust Act of 1890 for unreasonably restraining interstate trade and commerce in motion-picturefilms and to monopolize the exhibition of films in this area. Included in the ruling is coercing orattempting to coerce independent operators into selling out to it. While evidence of this type ofcoercion has not been found regarding the closing of the Old McKenzie Theater and the openingof the Park Theater, it fits descriptions of the companies actions found in the Mr. Justice WilliamDouglas opinion of the Court. 19 Many of these companies were ultimately forced to divestthemselves of stock and interest in the other involved exhibitors. This lawsuit was one the first of aseries of national antitrust cases challenging the way films were distributed filed at the end of the1930s that reached the Supreme Court. It laid the legal background for the United States v.Paramount Pictures Supreme Court case, a case seen as critical in the revolutionary changes inthe film industry. 20 These cases, in addition to drive-in theaters and the growing popularity of TVhelped contribute to the industry's decline in later years.

Construction of the New Park Theater began during the week of February 7, 1941 and opened itsdoors for a night showing of Affectingly Yours on Thursday, July 3, 1941. The theater sold its firsttickets for twenty-eight cents; the next day, the McKenzie Banner urged its readers to spend theFourth in the cool and comfort of the New Park Theatre and see Judy Canova, Bob Crosby andhis orchestra in Sis Hopkins .21 After its opening, the Park Theater became central to the townssocial life; one McKenzie resident, Nola Hobbs, described the weekly trips to the theater as thatswhat you did as a kid on Saturday afternoons while Robbie Story noted Saturdays being a big daybecause he was able to get his quarter and went to the theater. 22 Whether they lived in town or theoutlying area, McKenzie youth were sure to get cleaned up and head to the Park Theater wherethey purchased a ticket, popcorn, and a coke for under twenty-five cents.

The State of Tennessee repealed its blue laws in 1935, allowing local municipalities to showSunday movies if approved by a majority vote. 23 In a five to one vote on August 26, 1940, theMcKenzie City Council voted to allow the McKenzie Theater to operate on Sundays. The McKenzieBanner made this announcement in the same article that provided readers with general informationregarding the anticipated theater. Arguments to gain City Council approval included, Sundaymovies have been showing all around McKenzie but people residing here had to leave town in

17 Michael Conant, Antitrust in the Motion Picture Industry: Economic and Legal Analysis (Berkeley: University of CaliforniaPress, 1960) 88.

18 These seven companies include: Crescent Amusement Co.; Cumberland Amusement Co.; Lyric Amusement Co., Inc.;Cherokee Amusements, Inc.; Kentucky Amusement Co., Inc.; Muscle Shoals Theaters; and Rockwood Amusement Co.

19 United States v. Crescent Amusement Co.20 Conant, Antitrust in the Motion Picture Industry ,88-90, 107.21 McKenzie Banner , February 7, 1941; and Advertisement, McKenzie Banner , Friday, July 4, 1941.22 Personal Interview with Nola Hobbs, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011; and Personal Interview with Robbie Story,

McKenzie December 1 2011.


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order to see them and many of the younger set were going away to other places on Sunday. 24 Roy Johnson, theater manager, assured the Council and the public that his schedule of Sundayshows would not interfere with church services. Kenneth Harder, Park Theater employee in themid-1950s, remembers the theater having an early matinee at two oclock, then being closed atfour for church services, and opening around eight oclock for a night show. Because of thisarrangement, he does not recall there being any problems between the theater and localchurches. 25

The Park Theater serves as a place of collective childhood and young-adult experiences forlongtime McKenzie residents; most common of these is of Mr. Eddie Clericuzio and his flashlight.Clericuzio managed the theater for Rockwood from the mid-1940s and well into the 1970s. In histime as theater manager, the whole Clericuzio family was involved in theater operations. In themid-1950s, Marjorie Clericuzio took up and sold tickets while their son, Gabe, could be found onsite. 26 Once the movie started, Mr. Eddie regularly walked up and down the aisles with hisflashlight, ready to shine it on any young moviegoer caught misbehaving. Robert McDonaldremembers, A lot of the time, you got to kiss your girlfriend and hed shine his flashlight and cutthat stuff out. 27 Similarly, being hit with the beam of his flashlight served as a universallyunderstood warning that the next time Mr. Eddie caught you misbehaving, you would be takenoutside. 28 Even though the Park Theater was built with double-seats, with room for two or a largerindividual, Mr. Eddie regularly interrupted any moviegoers who got too cozy. His watchful eyecould be avoided at the drive-in theater built between Huntingdon, the county seat, and McKenziein the 1950s. 29 Linda Bolton sums up Mr. Eddies lasting influence on McKenzie through the ParkTheater in noting, Mr. Eddie was everybodys parent, to keep you straight. 30

While the local manager took care of all substantial operations, the Park Theater employednumerous local kids and students while in operation. 31 In the mid-1950s, Kenneth Harder was a

junior in high school and worked part-time at the theater; he remembers earning $16 workingseven days a week. During the week, the theater opened at five or six for a night showing and onthe weekends, he also worked two additional matines. His duties included working at theconcession stand and keeping the marquee updated, which required attention every two or threedays because of the constant movie rotation. While he worked there, the Park Theater typicallyshowed a new movie on Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. 32 As one residentremembered, everyone regularly went to the movies so they constantly showed new pictures -

24 McKenzie Banner , August 30, 1940, 1.25 Personal Interview with Kenneth Harder, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.26 Personal Interview with Nola Hobbs, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011; and Personal Interview with Kenneth Harder,

McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.27 Personal Interview with Robert McDonald, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.28 Personal Interview with Jennifer Waldrick, McKenzie, TN, September 29, 2011; Personal Interview with Kenneth Harder,

McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.29 Personal Interview with Rosalinda Winston and Robbie Story, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.30 Personal Interview with Linda Bolton, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.31 Personal Interview with Nanc Holland McKenzie TN December 1 2011.


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none stayed for long. 33 Ramona Washburn illustrates this regular attendance; she went to theaterand saw every new movie while her husband worked the night shift at the McKenzie Banner .34

World War IIIn its early years of operation, the Park Theater helped bring World War II to McKenzie through thewar-related newsreels. In 1944, war related newsreels made up more than eighty-five percent of allshown to the national audience, with over one hundred million viewers seeing at least one of thebiweekly releases. 35 McKenzie moviegoers were no exception; community members rememberseeing fighting in the trenches and the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests through the weeklynewsreels. 36 World War II made its way to this small east Tennessee town by more than justweekly newsreels; the theater screened movies made by Hollywood studios increasingly producingpatriotic and propaganda films who worked under the influence and pressure of the federal Officeof War Information and the Production Code Administration. 37 While McKenzie residents do notrecall the theater specifically engaged in war efforts, like bond drives, the town as a whole didscrap iron drives. 38 The cinematic industry consistently emphasized the critical role theaters playedin communities nationwide by presenting the viewers with acceptable representations of Americascultural and political enemies, appropriate social mores, and by being a safe and wholesome placeto relax even on Sundays. The 1942 Theater Catalog reflects this sentiment in its dedication;Dedicated to a defense of the Nations Morale through a constant vigilance to adequately maintainour Physical Theatres and the equipment ! so that the Entertainment, Instruction, and MentalRelaxation produced by the Studios and by Our Government may be portrayed to the Public with amaximum of effectiveness ! FOR THE DURATION! 39

Segregation A product of its time and place, the Park Theater has an inherently segregated history. As theMcKenzie Banner began publishing articles on the proposed theater and its progress, authorsunapologetically note the segregated layout of the future theater. As anticipated, the theatersstorefront, from right to left, ultimately had a small office at the corner of Cedar and Main Street, astairway leading to the negro balcony, double box office next to main entrance built so as toserve both white and colored patrons, double doors to the lobby, and a stairway leading to threesecond floor offices. 40 The segregated stairway, no longer extant, lead to a platform where African

Americans had separate bathroom facilities then continued up to a corner third of the balcony. If

33 Personal Interview with Nola Hobbs, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.34 Personal Interview with Ramona Washburn, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.35 Walton C. Ament and Francis S. Harmon, Movies at War: 1944, in The 1945 Film Daily Year Book , 138.36 Personal Interview with Nola Hobbs, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011; and Personal Interview with Robert McDonald,

McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.37 Thomas Cripps, Hollywood Goes to War, in Hollywoods High Noon: Movie Making and Society before Television

(Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1997), 188-205; and James Forsher, Propaganda Wars in The Community of Cinema:How Cinema and Spectacle Transformed the American Downtown (Westport, CN: Praeger Publishers, 2003), 76.

38 Personal Interview with Joe F. Williams, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011; and Personal Interview with James Choate,McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.

39 Dedication in The Theatre Catalo : 1942 front matter.


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these patrons wished to buy concessions, they were required to purchase them from the womanselling tickets in the box office rather than inside. 41 Kenneth Harder remembers there being a lowwall that ran from the bottom of the first seat to the top of the balcony; this wall divided the African

American corner from the white portion. Because the dividing wall began at the first seat ratherthan the front of the balcony, African Americans could use the whole balcony if no white patronswere sitting in the white balcony, which was normally closed until the bottom filled. 42 RosalindaWinston remembers the segregated theater noting, Whites didnt know it but [the balcony was the]best seat. She also recalls President John F. Kennedys 1963 announcement of a bill that wouldbecome the 1964 Civil Rights Act as a turning point in McKenzies integration, after which thetheater, schools, and businesses desegregated. 43

ArchitectureClarence Speight, of the Speight and Hibbs architectural firm, directed the design and remodelingof the Park Theater. Both he and the firm specialized in theater design and construction, havingdesigned fifty movie theaters in the south by 1941. In the next twenty years, this number wouldgrow to at least 200 as the firm remodeled or designed movie theaters for some of the largestamusement companies in the state, including the Ruffin Amusement Company of Covington,Cumberland Amusement Company of McMinnville, and the Park Theaters owner, Rockwood

Amusements Company of Nashville. 44 In 1945, Speight and Hibbs, of Clarksville, Tennessee, wereone of three architectural firms listed in The 1945 Film Daily Year Book as operating in Tennessee;the other two were based in Memphis. 45 Their renovations transformed a downtown grocer into aminimal Art Deco and Streamlined Moderne movie house that illustrates national trends commonin small towns at the end of the Great Depression and prior to the United States entry into WorldWar II. At the end of the 1930s and early 1940s, entrepreneurs often could not afford to constructnew buildings, opting to give buildings a practical and artful update that made use of inexpensive,mass-produced and easy-to-install components like brick and glass. 46

Like many rural and small town theaters, the Park Theater illustrates the architectural design andcost considerations required of a small town theater while also providing McKenzie theatergoerswith the largest and most modernly equipped in any West Tennessee town of McKenzies size. 47 In the early stages of the remodel, the McKenzie Banner boasted of the features that would make

41 Personal Interview with Jennifer Waldrick and Jill Holland, McKenzie, TN, September 29, 2011.42 Personal Interview with Kenneth Harder, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011; and Personal Interview with Robbie Story,

McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.43 Personal Interview with Rosalinda Winston, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.44 Kimberley Murphy, Ritz Theatre and Hoskins Rexall Drug Store No. 2 National Register nomination (1998), 15: and

Vicki Smith, Varsity Theater National Register nomination (2010), 12.45 Theater Architects, in The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures , ed. Jack Alicoate, 27 th ed. (Fort Lee, NJ: The

Film Daily, 1945), 697-699.46 Richard Longstreth, The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture , in the Building

Watchers Series (Washington, D. C.: Preservation Press, 1987), 49; and David Gebhard, The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America New York: Preservation Press OR John Wile and Sons Inc. 1996 9-10.


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it a modern plant in every respect. These included a washed air ventilation system, a modernfireproof projection room, modern cushioned seats, and the best sound equipment. 48 Even withthese modern conveniences, the new theater was estimated to have cost above $30,000. 49

With its modern washed air ventilation system and heating plant underneath the stage, the ParkTheater could serve as a year round entertainment haven and a place to escape reality, if only fora few hours. Joe Williams, an employee of both theaters in McKenzie and moviegoer, describedthe washed air as alright, noting that the draft did more cooling than the wash. 50 Even thoughhealth laws required movie theaters to install and maintain adequate ventilation systems, theirowners and managers saw the financial benefits of air conditioning and humidity control. Until thelate 1930s and early 1940s, air-conditioning was not widely popular in the residential market;movie theaters, public buildings, and schools were among the few places that conditioned air. As aresult, theaters nationwide promoted their healthfully cool interiors and the comfort of air-conditioned theaters. Their installation became an integral part of the luxurious movie goingexperience and contributed to the illusion of perfect order designed by architects and promoted bymanagers. While movie theaters provided the ideal market for comfort air-conditioning systems,they also transformed theatergoing from a seasonal to a year round activity and served to convincethe American public of the benefits and comforts of conditioned air. Through theater attendance,the residential and home market for air-conditioning units expanded, particularly after the GreatDepression. By the time the Park Theater was built, 92% of all theaters in the nation had someform of air treatment. 51

The Park Theaters original light fixtures, still in place, reflect national ideals for theater interiors inthe early 1940s. In the Theatre Catalog , Nashville architect, Joseph W. Holman wrote about thebenefits of indirect lighting for the patron saying, a proper lighting scheme for the interior of atheatre should provide a gradual transition from the brilliancy of the marquee to the darkness of theauditorium. He also argues A light source should never be visible to the eyes of patrons in themodern motion picture theatre, because the theaters sell their product in semi-darkness andmust maintain the proper atmosphere. 52 Architect, Clarence Speight of Speight & Hibbs was awareof these design recommendations and reflected these in the McKenzie Banner newspaper article,stating, soft lights flow from indirect fixtures giving the atmosphere a warm, exotic pleasantry. 53

The Park Theater also illustrates the growing concern for fire safety and prevention in its designand construction. As recommended by small town theater architectural specialist in 1942, Paul

48 McKenzie Banner , February 7, 1941, 1; and McKenzie Banner , December 6, 1940, 1.49 McKenzie Banner , June 27, 1941, 1.

50 Personal Interview with Joe F. Williams, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.51 Gail Cooper, Air-Conditioning America: Engineers and the Controlled Environment, 1900-1960 (Baltimore: The Johns

Hopkins University Press, 1998), 80-82, 108, 112. The Homewood Theatre of Birmingham, Alabama boasted Its Cool andHealthfully Cool under their marque. And A Summary of Modern Fronts: Designed in 1941, in The Theatre Catalog: 1942 , vol 3(Philadelphia: Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., 1942), 209, 212; and Advertisement, McKenzie Banner , July 4, 1941.

52 Jose h W. Holman The Theatrical Possibilities of Indirect Li htin in The Theatre Catalo : 1942 19.


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Evans, the Park Theater provided theatergoers with a fireproof projection room, concrete slabflooring, and steel roof girders. 54 The theater still has possession of an original fire extinguisher.

The auditorium of the Park Theater retains much of its original design seen in the lighting fixtures, Art Deco wall panels, original stage and curtains, and sloped floor. Some original chairs are stillintact, but are currently in storage off-site. Although the exterior of the theater has undergonesome changes to the lower part, the upper portion that features strong vertical elements is stillintact. The City of McKenzie hopes to restore the theater as a community center and an event andoffice space.

54 McKenzie Banner Februar 7 1941 1 McKenzie Banner Februar 21 1941 1 and Paul K. Evans Effects that can be


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9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

Alicoate, Jack, ed. The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures . 27th ed. Fort Lee, NJ: TheFilm Daily, 1945.

Bolton, Linda. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Carter, Clella Mae and Julian Devault. McKenzies History, 1869-1969: Hub of the Tri-countiesCarroll, Henry and Weakley . 1969.

Choate, James. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 5, 2011.

Conant, Michael. Antitrust in the Motion Picture Industry: Economic and Legal Analysis. Berkeley:University of California Press, 1960.

Cooper, Gail. Air-Conditioning America: Engineers and the Controlled Environment, 1900-1960.Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Cripps, Thomas. Hollywoods High Noon: Movie making and Society before Television . Baltimore:John Hopkins University Press, 1997.

Hawks, Mark W. Floor Plans , Building Renovation: The McKenzie Theater. Design Consultants,Inc.

Forsher, James. The Community of Cinema: How Cinema and Spectacle Transformed the American Downtown. Westport, CN: Praeger Publishers, 2003.

Gebhard, David. The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America . New York: John Wiley andSons, Inc., 1996.

Harder, Kenneth. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 5, 2011.

Hobbs, Nola. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Holland, Jill and Jennifer Waldrick. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. September 29, 2011.

Holland, Nancy. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Johnson, Charles Spurgeon, and Lewis Wade Jones. Statistical Atlas of Southern Counties; Listingand Analysis of Socio-Economic Indices of 1104 Southern Counties. Chapel Hill: Universityof North Carolina Press 1941.


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Longstreth, Richard. The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture ,in the Building Watchers Series. Washington, D. C.: Preservation Press, 1987.

McDonald, Robert. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

McKenzie Banner . March 29, 1940.

McKenzie Banner . August 30, 1940.

McKenzie Banner . December 6, 1940.

McKenzie Banner . January 31, 1941.

McKenzie Banner . February 7, 1941.



McKenzie Banner . June 27, 1941.

McKenzie Banner . July 4, 1941.

Murphy, Kimberley. Ritz Theatre and Hoskins Rexall Drug Store No. 2 National Registernomination, 1998.

Sanborn Map Company. McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: January 1910. New York: TheSanborn Map Company, 1910.

Sanborn Map Company. McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October 1926. New York: TheSanborn Map Company, 1926.

Sanborn Map Company. McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October 1926 with 1944Correction. New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1944.

Smith, Vicki. Varsity Theater National Register nomination, 2010.

Story, Robbie. Personal Interviews. McKenzie, TN. December 1 and 5, 2011.

The Theatre Catalog: 1942 . Vol. 3. Philadelphia: Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., 1942.


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United States v. Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. (two cases). Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. v.United States . 323 U.S. 173. 1944.http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/323/323.US.173.17.18.19.html (accessed January11, 2012).

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 77 Page 1. March 21, 1940.

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100 Page 323-326. November 3, 1951.

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100 Page 326-329. November 5, 1951.

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 216 Page 208. November 26, 1984.

Washburn, Ramona. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Williams, Joe F. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 5, 2011.

Winston, Rosalinda. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.


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10. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA

Verbal Boundary DescriptionThe boundaries for the nominated property are shown on the accompanying Gibson County,Tennessee, tax map as parcel number 012L M 001.00. The less than one-acre parcel is boundedon the southwest by Cedar Street, on the southeast by Main Street North, on the northeast by arear alley, and on the northwest by an adjoining commercial building.

Verbal Boundary JustificationThe nominated boundaries contain all of the acreage currently and historically associated with theproperty.


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Section number PHOTOS Page 17Park TheaterCarroll County, Tennessee

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs by: Elizabeth Moore HumphreysMTSU Center for Historic Preservation

Date: September 2011

Digital Files: Tennessee Historical CommissionNashville, Tennessee

Park Theatre NR nomination

Documents

Transcript of Park Theatre NR nomination