Varsity Theatre (Martin, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Varsity Theatre
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 104 Oxford St, Martin, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | Speight and Hibbs |
| Architectural style | Moderne, Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000464 |
| Added to NRHP | June 1, 2010 |
The Varsity Theatre is a historic building in Martin, Tennessee. It used to be a popular movie theater. This building is so important that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's officially recognized as a special place in American history.
The Varsity Theatre: A Look Back
The Varsity Theatre was built in 1949. It was made for the Ruffin Amusement Company. When it first opened, it was the best movie theater in Martin and Weakley County. It could seat 1,000 people inside. The theater even had air conditioning, which was a big deal back then!
The name "Varsity" was chosen for a good reason. It honored the University of Tennessee College in Martin. This showed a connection between the theater and the local college.
Cool Design Styles
The building was designed by a company called Speight and Hibbs. They were architects from Clarksville, Tennessee. The theater's design mixes two cool styles: Art Deco and Art Moderne.
The outside of the building looks very smooth and modern. This is a sign of the Art Moderne style. You can see lots of rounded edges and straight horizontal lines. These features make the building look sleek. Inside, you'll also find Art Moderne elements. The lighting and wall decorations show the Art Deco style.
A Difficult Past
The theater was built during a time called the Jim Crow era. During this time, laws in some parts of the United United States kept people of different races separate. Because of this, the Varsity Theatre was designed with separate areas. African-American moviegoers had to use a different entrance. This led them to the theater balcony. They also had separate bathrooms and a drinking fountain in the stairwell. This was a sad part of history where people were treated differently.
A Changing History
The Varsity Theatre showed movies until 1987. Then, it closed for a few years. It reopened in 1992 but closed again in 1996. After that, the building became a church. The church used the building until 2002.
For several years, the building was empty. Later, it was changed again. Today, the Varsity Theatre is used as a fitness center. It also has a physical therapy clinic. In August 2010, the building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.
