Royal Theater

The new-build Meres Building was announced in 1913 and was designed by architects Bonfoey and Elliott for sponge dealer Ernest Meres. Contractors Parrish and Goin built the multipurpose building. The Meres Block was home to multiple businesses including the Saclarides Brothers' Royal Theatre that launched there in 1914. That location was supposedly home to the town’s first ever electric sign that could be seen “for a long distance.” The Royal opened April 27, 1914 with “The Last Days of Pompeii.” The venue was equipped with sound to remain commercially viable.

On May 14, 1950, operator E.L. Hull announced the theatre would close for the summer with “Satan’s Cradle” with Duncan Renaldo. That closure turned out to be permanent. The theater’s space was repurposed for other commercial ventures. The building was still around in the 2020s.