My mother took me to the Brayton Theater in the late 1940’s( around 1947 or 1948) We lived a half a block away from it. My recollection is it may have closed as early as 1949. For years it sat vacant. Then in 1966 it opened as a Teen Post. My mother was assistant director there serving under Bob Hunt who was the director. During the summers of 1966 and 1967, I hung out there. One staff member who I only knew as “Brownie” sold pills from there. It was, however, by then in terrible shape. I recall seeing old man Brayton coming by in the summer of 1966 to look things over. The demolition date given above is not correct. I recall that taking place in the earliest during 1975 and at the latest by 1977. As far as the church goes, at first it was African-American, then, by the late 1990’s, Hispanic and only by the turn of the century did it become Phillipino. During the last two years everything on the eastside of Atlantic Avenue from 20th Street to Hill Street was demolished to make way for some units.
My mother took me to the Brayton Theater in the late 1940’s( around 1947 or 1948) We lived a half a block away from it. My recollection is it may have closed as early as 1949. For years it sat vacant. Then in 1966 it opened as a Teen Post. My mother was assistant director there serving under Bob Hunt who was the director. During the summers of 1966 and 1967, I hung out there. One staff member who I only knew as “Brownie” sold pills from there. It was, however, by then in terrible shape. I recall seeing old man Brayton coming by in the summer of 1966 to look things over. The demolition date given above is not correct. I recall that taking place in the earliest during 1975 and at the latest by 1977. As far as the church goes, at first it was African-American, then, by the late 1990’s, Hispanic and only by the turn of the century did it become Phillipino. During the last two years everything on the eastside of Atlantic Avenue from 20th Street to Hill Street was demolished to make way for some units.