Center Theatre

Joe Vogel on August 16, 2013 at 4:46 pm

The Center Theatre was not at 131 S. Main Street. That building, according to a document about Laurinburg from the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources was built in 1938 as a department store. The Center Theatre was in an older building at the southwest corner of Main and Cronly Streets (301 through 311 S. Main:

“Large two- and three-story brick early-twentieth-century commercial design; two- story southern section is six bays wide; another two-story section attached to west side facing Cronly Street is four bays wide; solid glass second-story windows in two-story south section; three-story northern section is five bays wide with single and paired windows (replacement glass) at second and third levels; recessed panels in upper facade; lower level altered with plate-glass display windows and replacement bulkheads; building originally occupied by McNair Buick automobile sales and showroom; later occupied by McLaurin-McArthur Chevrolet dealership; occupied by The Outlet Furniture Store from 1969 through 1983; central unit originally occupied by the Scotland Theater, later known as the Center Theater; corner unit was occupied by the Legion Drug Store for many years; currently divided into three commercial units with offices on the second level; Quick Copy Center in southern section since 1996; Bob’s Jewelers in corner unit for past decade.

As the Scotland Theatre occupied the center section of the building, its address was probably 305-307 S. Main. The building was built in 1924, and the Scotland Theatre was one of the original occupants. 1955 might have been the year it was renamed Center Theatre.

The marquee of the Scotland/Center Theatre can be seen at left in this vintage postcard probably dating from around 1930, when cars were becoming a bit streamlined.