Temple Theater (Meridian, Mississippi) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Temple Theater
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | Emile Weil |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| MPS | Meridian MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003407 |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1979 |
The Hamasa Shrine Temple Theater is a cool old building in Meridian, Mississippi. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This historic theater is found at 2320 8th Street.
The Temple Theater was built in the Moorish Revival style. It started showing silent movies in 1928. The theater has a beautiful Byzantine design. You can see marble fountains and big bronze chandeliers. When it was built, its stage was one of the biggest in the United States. Only the Roxy Theater in New York City had a larger one.
This theater is special because it has a Robert Morton theatre organ. It's one of only two such organs still in their original spots in Mississippi. The other is at the Saenger Theater in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Magnolia Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society (ATOS) helps take care of these organs.
The Temple was first used for vaudeville shows and movies. Today, it hosts many events all year. These include live stage shows, plays, and concerts.
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History of the Temple Theater
The Hamasa Shrine group in Meridian needed a new building. Their old one was too small by the early 1920s. They decided to move to a new location.
The Shriners hired an architect named Emile Weil. Construction on the new building began in 1923. The Grand Ballroom was finished in 1924. The Shriners moved in and started holding meetings there. The rest of the building was built around them.
The theater part of the building was ready a few months later. At first, only a few traveling shows performed there. In 1927, the Shriners leased the Temple Theater to the Saenger company. This company was from New Orleans. They changed the Temple into a movie house. After this, the theater became very popular.
Completing the Temple Theater
The Temple Theater was fully finished in 1928. It had some changes, like a new Robert Morton theatre organ. This organ had three keyboards and eight sets of pipes.
When it was built, the Temple Theater had one of the largest stages. It was second only to the Roxy Theater in New York City. Saenger's lease was extended in 1952 for 20 more years. It ended in 1972.
The Temple could seat 1800 people. The silent movie era was a great time for the theater. Even after silent movies ended, the Temple kept entertaining people. Many famous artists have performed there. These include George Strait, Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, The Oak Ridge Boys, Randy Travis, Roy Clark, Waylon Jennings, and Elvis Presley.
Restoration and Modern Use
In 1973, after Saenger's lease ended, the Hamasa Shrine started fixing up the Temple. They repaired plaster, repainted walls, and replaced carpets. They also fixed the seats.
The Temple kept its original design. However, one part of the lobby floor was changed. The terrazzo floor had small brass stars and other designs. Some of these designs were removed during World War II.
In February 2009, a businessman named Roger Smith bought the Temple. He was from Dallas, Texas. He promised to restore the Temple and keep it open all year. Many old movie theaters have been torn down. But the Temple has always been used.
Today, the Temple is busy with many events. It hosts live stage shows, plays, and concerts. It is also used for Hamasa Shrine events. They even show classic movies to the public. The Temple is part of the Imperial Shrine Council. This group has 191 Temples across North America.
Amazing Sound in the Auditorium
The design of the auditorium helps make the sound great. It has curved and smooth surfaces. This helps the sound travel well. A special resonance chamber was built under the orchestra pit. This makes the sound of instruments richer and louder.
Even with a big room and many people, some shows don't need microphones. For example, Tony Bennett performed there twice without any microphones.
The Robert Morton Organ
The theater has a Robert Morton theatre organ. It is one of only two still in its original spot in the state. The organ console is white and gold. It has three keyboards with 61 notes each. It also has 32 pedals. These control 608 pipes. The pipes are in two rooms, one on each side of the stage.
Each room has four sets of pipes. There are also many percussion instruments. These include bass and snare drums, a xylophone, and orchestral bells. There are also 12 special sound effects. These are called the "toy counter." They make sounds like a train whistle, car horn, or duck calls. These sounds were used to go along with silent films.
The Robert Morton Console has 120 stops. These let you choose different sounds and mixes. There are also 48 "pistons." These let you quickly choose a set of sounds you like. The organ was damaged by rain, but it is now fully fixed. This was thanks to the hard work of the Magnolia Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society.
