Perry Theatre
837 7th Avenue,
Gainesville,
FL
32601
837 7th Avenue,
Gainesville,
FL
32601
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The Perry Theatre, an African American venue, opened in 1946. It offered movies and a gathering space for the community. It was typically open only from Thursday to Saturday. The venue did not make enough money and closed after a few years of operation in the late-1940’s. Shortly after closing as a cinema, the building reopened as the Cotton Club by 1951. The site is now the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center.
Contributed by
John Coursey
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
This was established by the Perryman family who already operated a grocery store in the area. They thought that the Perry would provide a venue for African Americans living on the other side of town from the Pleasant Street theatres.
The wooden structure was originally one of the PX buildings at Camp Blanding which was established at the beginning of WWII and closed after the conflict was over. Buildings were offered for sale. This one was transported in several pieces close to a site near the Perryman’s grocery store.
Most sources say the Perry only operated for two years.