Could a representative from Cinema Treasures contact a rep from the Stanley and extend some education about the issues Schmadrian raises? Maybe a compromise could be met…
In reply to Schmadrian, my husband and I have both been on the Stanley tour in the mid 80’s. We now make our living as historic preservation contractors. Five years prior, I had never heard of preservation. My lack of knowledge could very possibly have been taken as insensitivity, as Schmadrian commented about the Stanley Theater guide.
Preservation is a field all its own – like learning a new language. Preservation is as much about creating an atmosphere as it is restoring a building. The Stanley restoration was more about perfect timing than any desire to promote the theater industry. It was in the perfect location for the perfect price at the perfect time. Who can fault that? There were no claims of a restoration with specs and guidelines.
The work we do involves so many aspects other than the physical bricks and mortar. Local citizens and passersby will stop with unsolicited stories of their memory of the property. Some are thrilled with our work. Others irritated. For example: An elderly lady stopped by while we were renovating a one-room schoolhouse and demanded to know why we didn’t put the tin roof back on the school. I told her the specs called for shingles. She said a couple phrases about respecting the past and drove off in a huff. I called the architect over the project and inquired and he said that, in fact, the shingles were original. The tin was added as a quick fix for a leaky roof years later. I could never have changed that lady’s memories with a spec sheet. She had a right to those memories but I couldn’t change the roof.
So many times what one person thinks was authentic really wasn’t. If the Stanley had been restored using public money then they would have had to go by National Register standards for rehabilitation, it would have been different. Maybe that is at the root of the frustrating experience you mentioned….
Our family chooses to go to the Robey rather than drive to Charleston where there are probably 5 or 6 state of the art theaters to choose from. Some complain of the smell and the decor but we absolutely love it! The smell is of decades of popcorn and aged wall fabric and old-growth wood floors and trim. The bathrooms are adorable. You take a trip back in time while you are there. We couldn’t be happier with Spencer’s little theatre. The owners are very proactive in trying to snag movies that will sell out. They know their crowd and what will attract the numbers. Aaron Richardson has found a treasure.
Could a representative from Cinema Treasures contact a rep from the Stanley and extend some education about the issues Schmadrian raises? Maybe a compromise could be met…
In reply to Schmadrian, my husband and I have both been on the Stanley tour in the mid 80’s. We now make our living as historic preservation contractors. Five years prior, I had never heard of preservation. My lack of knowledge could very possibly have been taken as insensitivity, as Schmadrian commented about the Stanley Theater guide.
Preservation is a field all its own – like learning a new language. Preservation is as much about creating an atmosphere as it is restoring a building. The Stanley restoration was more about perfect timing than any desire to promote the theater industry. It was in the perfect location for the perfect price at the perfect time. Who can fault that? There were no claims of a restoration with specs and guidelines.
The work we do involves so many aspects other than the physical bricks and mortar. Local citizens and passersby will stop with unsolicited stories of their memory of the property. Some are thrilled with our work. Others irritated. For example: An elderly lady stopped by while we were renovating a one-room schoolhouse and demanded to know why we didn’t put the tin roof back on the school. I told her the specs called for shingles. She said a couple phrases about respecting the past and drove off in a huff. I called the architect over the project and inquired and he said that, in fact, the shingles were original. The tin was added as a quick fix for a leaky roof years later. I could never have changed that lady’s memories with a spec sheet. She had a right to those memories but I couldn’t change the roof.
So many times what one person thinks was authentic really wasn’t. If the Stanley had been restored using public money then they would have had to go by National Register standards for rehabilitation, it would have been different. Maybe that is at the root of the frustrating experience you mentioned….
Our family chooses to go to the Robey rather than drive to Charleston where there are probably 5 or 6 state of the art theaters to choose from. Some complain of the smell and the decor but we absolutely love it! The smell is of decades of popcorn and aged wall fabric and old-growth wood floors and trim. The bathrooms are adorable. You take a trip back in time while you are there. We couldn’t be happier with Spencer’s little theatre. The owners are very proactive in trying to snag movies that will sell out. They know their crowd and what will attract the numbers. Aaron Richardson has found a treasure.