Booker-T Theater
170 E. Thomas Street,
Rocky Mount,
NC
27801
170 E. Thomas Street,
Rocky Mount,
NC
27801
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The theater just a few steps away from the Booker T was the Manhattan Theatre and is now known as the Ritz. The building in between the two was torn down, and that may explain the renumbering of the theater address. Also, Main street is literally within viewing distance of the address on E. Thomas, as it is one block away.
Can anyone explain the Montgomery Ward ornamentation? It does look vaguely like the style of building Ward’s was putting up around the early 20s, but it is pretty small. It’s also an odd location for them to build the store, since I assume they would have avoided a black neighborhood in preference for a downtown location on Main.
The correct address of the Booker T Theater is 170 EAST Thomas Street, as the theater is east of the railroad tracks (which divide East Thomas Street from West Thomas Street, and also serves as the Nash/Edgecombe county line).
The modern address of the Booker T Theatre is 170 W. Thomas Street. Historic city directories consistently place the Savoy/Booker T Theatre at 130 W. Thomas, but the renovation of the area has apparently lead to renumbering of the lots.
This web site has information about the history of the buildings on the block and about the renovations. There are brief videos featuring before-and-after photos of both the Booker T and Manhattan Theatres.
This house is listed as the Savoy Theatre in the 1934 directory, and as the Booker T in the 1936 directory.
I have wondered why the Montgomery Ward spirit of progress tilework in this building
Here are photos of the restored Booker-T and Manhattan Theaters—
http://www.flickr.com/photos/loose-threads-cinema/sets/72157626655668569/
Is anyone going to post pictures of the grand reopening?
Opened as the Savoy c.~1910-1930.
Owned:
1950 Booker T Theatres
1950-1975 Bijou Amusement Circuit, of Nashville, Milton Starr, President, they had over 20 theaters in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
Opened 9:00 am, Thursday April 28, 2011, with a Spelling Bee.
Saturday, April 30, they had a showing of “REMEMBER THE TITANS”, Denzel Washington played Coach Herman “Ike” Boone. Coach Boone is from Rocky Mount and the Coach and T.C. Williams High School of Rocky Mount are in the movie. Coach Boone’s came back home to Rocky Mount for the movie in the refurbished Booker T Theater.
Sunday, May 1,
2:00 pm “DOWN IN THE DELTA"
5:00 pm "THE GOSPEL”
More info and photos always welcome.
I have worked across the street from this theater for a couple years now and was interested in finding out a little more about the theater and found there is interest in this building. Some of you may be delighted to learn that the building is undergoing a renovation. The attached building to the right is also being rebuilt. The attached building on the left of the old theater has been torn down.
do you know where one could possibly find pictures of the inside of this theater ?
You’d think someone could board up the upper windows in the last three years.
And at least try and prevent further damage from the elements.
Especially if renovation is implied on the website. Even their photo shows the current condition.
You’d think someone could board up the uppers windows in the last three years.
At least try and prevent further damage from the elements. Especially if renovation is implied on the website. Even their photo shows the current condition.
Oops, it was opened as the Savoy, not the Lyric!
I am told that the Booker-T was originally built about 1919 as the Lyric. The building is up for restoration but may not be used as a cinema.
Go to
View link and select the link to Booker T
According to Bowers' “Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments” page 551, there was a “Lyric” theatre in Rocky Mount equipped with a Reproduco organ made by the Operators Piano Co. I could not find a page for the Lyric, so I am putting this here for the time being.
One final note – it looks like there’s a hyphen on the marquee, so maybe it should be the Booker-T Theater.
By the way, the 2007 photo was one of the better ones I’ve seen in a while. I don’t think rehab is in this theater’s future.
There was another Booker T theater in Reidsville, NC in the early sixties. The chain that ran both theaters, presumably, was Booker T Theaters, headquarted in Raleigh. Fred Levi was president and general manager. The Rocky Mount Booker T is not listed as one of the chain’s theaters in the 1963 motion picture almanac, for unknown reasons.
Click on the photo gallery on this page. The fourth photo in the slideshow is the Booker T:
http://tinyurl.com/ybh9b7