The Lincoln Theatre, completed in 1929, is located in Marion, Virginia, the county seat of Smyth County. A small town in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Marion is the governmental center of the county that originally attracted lawyers, shopkeepers, hoteliers, merchants, and a few manufacturers. None of the early citizens of the village were noted for their philanthropy or their interest in the cultural environment of the town. Entertainment was limited to performances and recitals at Marion Female College, established in 1874, and the Seaver Opera House, where concerts and dramatic presentations took place, and at the Court Square Theatre in the courthouse. With the advent of the motion picture, two small, uncomfortable houses in Marion offered silent films until the Lincoln Theatre opened in 1929, just as the movies were beginning to talk, and the Great Depression was at hand.
Charles S. Wassum, prominent Marion businessman, first conceived the idea of building an elegant apartment house and a 1,200-seat motion picture theatre in his hometown. He envisioned these improvements as "a monument to the growth of Marion and to Marion's future." Wassum did build the Royal Oak Apartment House, an impressive four-story brick and stone structure on Main Street in the center of Marion. But instead of building the theatre as planned, he sold the one-fifth-acre lot behind his apartment complex to Charles C. Lincoln, Sr., who was keenly interested in having a modern theatre in Marion. Owner of a large local factory. The Virginia Table Company, Lincoln, a generous benefactor of his hometown, built the theatre as a gift to the people of Southwest Virginia. On a trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, Mr. Lincoln saw a new theatre which greatly impressed him. Upon learning that the Novelty Scenic Studios of New York City had designed the interior of that theatre, he engaged that firm to design and decorate the theatre in Marion. Eubank and Caldwell of Roanoke, Virginia, were the architects and contractors who designed and erected the brick theatre building. Unfortunately, Charles Clark Lincoln, Sr., died 23 December 1928 during the construction of the theatre. Work on the theatre was continued by his sons, Charles C. Lincoln, Jr., and John D. Lincoln, who became the managers of the Lincoln furniture plants in Marion, Damascus, and Bristol. After the theatre opened, workmen at the Lincoln factories received weekly passes to attend the Lincoln Theatre, which had capacity crowds every weekend.
With much publicity and eclat, the Lincoln Theatre opened to the public for the first time on 1 July 1929, with an early talking picture "Close Harmony", a musical comedy from 1929 staring Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers, Nancy Carroll and Harry Green. The 750-seat theatre could not accommodate all the patrons who had come not only to hear the talking movies but also to admire the unique decorations and accoutrements inside Marion's elegant new show place.
The Lincoln Theatre, said to be the finest between Roanoke and Knoxville, Tennessee not only offered first-run films and stage shows by noted performers, celebrities, musicians, and live vaudeville acts, but also served the area as a regional center for civic, cultural, industrial, and educational meetings in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Although there were other movie houses in Marion during those years, only the Lincoln survived and remained in continuous operation for forty-four years. After closing temporarily in 1973, it reopened in 1975 but closed permanently on 28 August 1977 with the showing of the adventure film, "When the North Wind Blows", a family adventure / drama staring Henry Brandon, Herbert Nelson, and Dan Haggerty from 1974.
Fast forward…the Lincoln, abandoned, unused, and deteriorating, remained the property of members of the Lincoln family until 11 July 1988, when it was purchased by The Lincoln Theatre Foundation, Inc. The members of this corporation plan to restore as authentically as possible this unique historic moving picture theatre and to convert it into a state-of-the-art cultural center for Marion, Smyth County, and the surrounding counties and towns. An intensive fundraising drive is now being planned to obtain funds to make this dream a reality- -a much needed reality for this section of Southwest Virginia.
The Lincoln Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1992 for its local contributions to the arts and its unique architecture. All of the information above and more was found on the original documents submitted for listing consideration that can be viewed here:
catalog.archives.gov/id/41683652
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
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