Nelson Theatre

This theater was opened sometime in the 1920’s, when a large wooden hall was moved from the nearby Oak Ridge estate.

A stage was provided, and vaudeville and other live acts were presented along with films. The seating in the balcony was segregated, and African-American patrons were unable to sit in the main seating area until segregation ended.

In 1945, the then manager, J.H. McClellan, purchased the theatre and added the brick section to the front. This contained small storefronts on either side of a simple lobby, and an apartment on the second floor.

The theatre closed in 1973, and the hall has been used off and on by churches and the like. One retail space was used by a barber in recent years, but both are now vacant. Some work seemed to be going on in the lobby as of late-2023.

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