Park Theatre, McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee, Heritage Development Plan

Park Theatre McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee

Heritage Development Plan

Sponsored by the Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University

March 2013

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Prepared for:

The City of McKenzie, Tennessee

by:

Cassandra Bennett

Graduate Intern

with:

Center for Historic Preservation, MTSU Elizabeth Humphreys, Projects Coordinator

Southwest Tennessee Development District, Renee Tavares, Historic Preservation Planner

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY 5

II. BUILDING ANALYSIS a. Building History 7 b. Architectural Description 25 c. Timeline Of Building Alterations, Ownership, & Events 41

III. HERITAGE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 45

a. Organization & Ownership 46 b. Early Stages: Planning 48 c. Building Interest 50 d. Partnerships 51 e. Possible Uses For The Park Theater 52 f. Funding Sources 54 g. Fundraising 55 h. Grants 56 i. Restoration Guidance & Recommendations 63 j. Planning Document and Recommendations

IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY 71

V. APPENDICES 74 a. Chronological Printing of Historic Park Theatre Photographs 75 b. Storefront Arrangement Sketch 87 c. Local and State Landmarking: Tennessee Historical Commission 88

Marker – Informational Memorandum, Coversheet, and Price List d. ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Historic Buildings 97 e. Blog Articles by McDoux Preservation LLC

i. Your New NPO: The First Year! ii. Grants, Reimbursements, and Matching Funds 106

f. Example Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from HUD 109 g. NPS Preservation Brief #12: The Preservation of Historic Pigmented 112 a. Structural Glass (Vitrolite and Carrara Glass)

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PROJECT BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

The Park Theatre, currently owned by the McKenzie Industrial Board, is located on the north corner of Cedar and North Main Streets in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee, facing southwest toward the Downtown Veterans Memorial Park. The City of McKenzie is working to preserve the theater and hopes to open it to the public. This report examines the building’s history and architecture, preservation needs and recommendations, and sources of funding and potential uses to assist the City accomplish its goals.

In the fall of 2011, Mayor Jill Holland contacted Dr. Carroll Van West for assistance from the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation relating to the Park Theatre. The Mayor emphasized listing the building on the National Register of Historic Places and finding funding sources. Dr. West responded, putting Mayor Holland in contact with Elizabeth Humphreys, project coordinator at the MTSU CHP. Through the fall of 2011 and early 2012, Elizabeth Humphreys and Cassandra Bennett, graduate research assistant, worked to complete a National Register draft nomination. A final version was submitted in the spring of 2012 but due to architectural integrity issues, the State Historic Preservation Office recommended holding the Park Theatre nomination for further research. The nomination’s statement of significance and narrative description are included in this report along with new information.

The partnership with the City of McKenzie and the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation continued into the Summer of 2012 when the CHP sponsored Cassandra Bennett’s internship. A draft of the heritage development plan is one product of the internship. The plan is designed to provide a better understanding of the possibilities for this heritage asset and to make recommendations for its long-term preservation.

The MTSU Center for Historic Preservation would like to thank the many McKenzie and Carroll County citizens who shared their memories of attending movies or working at the Park Theatre. Special thanks go out to the following: Gabe Clericuzio, son of the former theater manager who provided priceless photographs and recollections; Nola Hobbs, for locating newspaper articles and deeds; McKenzie Mayor Jill Holland; Jennifer Waldrup, City of McKenzie Economic Development and Events Coordinator; and Jere Cox, Robbie Story, and James Choate of The Gordon Browning Museum & Genealogical Library.

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BUILDING ANALYSIS

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HISTORY

The Park Theatre illustrates local, state, and national historical trends. From its opening in 1941, the theater was significant in the recreational and cultural history of McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee. The theater was a center for entertainment and its presence in McKenzie represents the importance of movie theaters in small southern towns during the mid-twentieth century. Its completion and operation by the Rockwood Amusement Company follows national shifts in theater ownership and management in the mid-twentieth century and parallels trends in the development and distribution of mass media and entertainment. It served a role in the social history of the community, both as a segregated facility and as an information center during World War II. The theater is also locally significant for its Art Deco design by prominent theater architects Speight and Hibbs. Remodeled in 1941, the building represents the early modern period of design in McKenzie.

Rockwood Amusement, Inc. purchased a parcel of land and brick building in downtown McKenzie, at the north corner of Cedar and North Main Street, in March 1940. According to Sanborn maps, the existing building was constructed sometime between 1910 and 1926 as a 15-car Chevrolet dealership. When Rockwood Amusement purchased the site, Lovelace-Farmer & Company occupied the building owned by C. H. and Nannie Bateman; the grocer had operated in McKenzie for twenty years and planned to construct a warehouse near one of the railroads in town.1 For the 1941 opening, the building underwent extensive renovations and remodeling, transforming the Lovelace-Farmer Wholesale Grocery Company’s store into “one of the finest show houses in Tennessee outside of the larger cities.”2

The property was owned by the Rockwood for the next forty years. In 1951, Rockwood Amusements, Inc. underwent a liquidation, which established Kermit C. Stengel as the sole stockholder for $1.00; the company transferred all of the property, in five different cities, to Stengel on November 3 of that year.3 Two days later, November 5, Rockwood Theatres, Inc. had been incorporated in Tennessee and purchased all of the recently liquidated property from Stengel for $1.00.4 The Park Theatre property in McKenzie was one of these transferred tracts of land. The theater was sold out of Rockwood’s ownership on November 26, 1984, when

1 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 77, Page 1, March 21, 1940; and McKenzie Banner, December 6, 1940, 1; and McKenzie Banner, March 29, 1940, 1.

2 McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941, page 1. 3 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100, Page 323-326, November 3, 1951. 4 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100, Page 326-329, November 5, 1951. 2 McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941, page 1. 3 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100, Page 323-326, November 3, 1951. 4 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100, Page 326-329, November 5, 1951.

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Rockwood Theatres, Inc. transferred this tract of land and the “Park Theatre Building” to Rayburn A. and Brenda Kaye O’Brien for $10 despite its appraised value of $31,500.5 The building is now owned by the City of McKenzie Industrial Development Board.

The “Old” McKenzie Theatre

Before Rockwood Amusement Company opened the Park Theatre, a theater known as the “Old” McKenzie Theatre, operated out of the Caledonia Masonic Lodge as early as 1926; the business rented the ground floor and balcony of the building.6 The McKenzie Theatre, at the north end of Broadway Street, had seating for 344 moviegoers and advertised in Huntingdon, the county seat, twelve miles away. Douglas Moore, the former mayor, owned the business while the Masonic Lodge of McKenzie owned the building.7 Similar lease arrangements were common throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama.

Likely in 1936, L.N. Dunlap, the “Worshipful Master of the Masonic Lodge in McKenzie,” contacted Rockwood and several other amusement companies with offers to lease the theater portion of the Masonic Lodge. Rockwood then learned that the building was going to be sold “at public sale.” At this time, Moore contacted Rockwood’s president and asked that the company not purchase the building; he planned to update the theater after he signed a new lease or purchased the building. The company agreed, even though Dunlap and numerous citizens hoped the company would enter McKenzie and open a “nice theatre.” Rockwood’s main reason for not opening a theater in McKenzie at that time was because the company had recently purchased the Court Theatre in Huntingdon and “was unfamiliar with the possibilities of that particular section of Tennessee.”8 Such caution was uncommon for Rockwood or amusement companies associated with the Crescent Amusement Company who, in the mid to late 1930s

5 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 216, Page 208, November 26, 1984. 6 Clella Mae Carter and Julian Devault, McKenzie’s History, 1869-1969: Hub of the Tri-

counties Carroll, Henry and Weakley, (1969) 137; and Sanborn Map Company, “McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October, 1926” (New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1926), sheet 2.

7 Joe F. Williams, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011; McKenzie Banner, Friday, December 6, 1940, page 1; and Report on McKenzie, Tennessee, William Waller Collection, 1927-1960, box 12, folder 7, Tennessee State Library and Archive, Nashville, Tennessee (hereafter cited as William Waller Collection). The reports contained in this folder of the William Waller Collection were assembled by the company’s employees in preparation for two United States Supreme Court cases dealing with antitrust violations. They appear to have been written ca. late 1939. Quotes from these reports demonstrate the thinking and biases of a company found to have engaged in predatory practices to monopolize the exhibition of motion picture film in the region.

8 Report on McKenzie, Tennessee, William Waller Collection.

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were busy expanding their theater circuits to monopolize the region (see page 10 for more information about the corporate structure).9

Between 1936 and 1939, Moore failed to extensively refurnish the theater, though he made “some changes in [the] equipment,” and McKenzie citizens grew so dissatisfied with their local theater that they were traveling to nearby towns to watch movies. A part of this dissatisfaction likely stemmed from Rockwood’s predatory film contract for Paramount films in Huntingdon; in 1937, the exhibitor signed a five year contract with the distributor that contained a clearance over the McKenzie Theatre for the last four years of the agreement. This meant that Moore’s contracts with Paramount would not allow him to show a Paramount movie before or at the same time as it was shown in Huntingdon. Though this “excited” Moore, he was unable to secure a better contract with Paramount.10

According to a report prepared by a Rockwood employee, the company decided to lease a building in early 1939 “in the heart of the best business block with the thought of remodeling same into a theatre” after learning that McKenzie citizens were dissatisfied with their local theater. Upon learning this, Moore traveled to Rockwood’s office in Nashville to see if Kermit Stengel, the company’s president, would be interested in purchasing his business. An offer was made and Rockwood purchased Moore’s theater for $9,000 on April 4, 1939. It is unclear which downtown building Rockwood leased in March or April but by the last half of 1939, the company was “quietly investigating the possibility of acquiring” an adjacent store. Evidence does not indicate that the current Park Theatre building was Rockwood’s original leased building in McKenzie.11

When Rockwood entered McKenzie in 1939, it was the county’s largest city, population 1,858, and had the capacity to profitably support a larger, more modern theater.12 At its opening, the Park Theatre sat approximately 600 moviegoers; the national average seating capacity in 1945 was 647 while the average for movie theaters in Tennessee in 1944 was 539.13

According to Joe Williams, who worked at both theaters in McKenzie, Rockwood Amusements hired the projectionists, ticket seller, ticket taker, and the popcorn maker (himself) from the “Old” McKenzie Theatre to work at the Park Theatre.14 The company brought Roy

9 Reports on all theaters associated with Crescent, William Waller Collection. 10 Report on McKenzie, Tennessee, William Waller Collection. 11 Report on McKenzie, Tennessee, William Waller Collection. 12 Charles Spurgeon Johnson, and Lewis Wade Jones, Statistical Atlas of Southern

Counties; Listing and Analysis of Socio-Economic Indices of 1104 Southern Counties, (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1941); and Report on McKenzie, Tennessee, William Waller Collection.

13 The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures, ed. Jack Alicoate, 27th ed. (Fort Lee, NJ: The Film Daily, 1945), 47, 49.

14 Joe F. Williams, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.

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Johnson from Nashville to manage the old theater while Rockwood remodeled the Lovelace building and transitioned its McKenzie operation to the modern theatre. Johnson appears in the McKenzie Banner as early as April 3, 1940 after completing his first year as the theater head. In July of the same year, he announced an increase in ticket prices – they were originally 10¢ and 23¢ for white patrons and 15¢ for African-American moviegoers – and the following month, he successfully petitioned the City Council to allow the showing of movies on Sunday.15 Both of these appearances indicate Rockwood’s attempt make the McKenzie cinematic atmosphere compatible with company-wide standards.

After these adjustments had been made and the Park Theatre was well established in the mid-1940s, Ed Clericuzio replaced Johnson as the theater manager.16 It appears that Johnson began or continued serving as an intermediary between the region’s theaters and Rockwood Amusements. Gabe Clericuzio, Ed’s son, notes that Roy Johnson oversaw at least three other theaters in the area: the Court Theater in Huntingdon, a drive-in between Huntingdon and McKenzie, and a drive-in thirty miles away in Humbolt.17

Figure 1. Photograph of Roy Johnson. The caption of this photograph in the July 4, 1941 McKenzie Banner reads, “Everybody in McKenzie knows Roy Johnson, manager of the Park Theatre. Although a comparative newcomer to McKenzie, Mr. Johnson has won for himself a place of esteem among McKenzie people. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have one child.”

The opening of the new Park Theatre also follows national trends in theater ownership and management in the mid-twentieth century. Like many theaters during this period, the new theater was owned by a large company from Nashville, the Rockwood Amusement Company. Rockwood was a member of an exhibitor circuit that operated theaters in five southern states. This was a major shift from the old McKenzie Theatre that was under the ownership of local individuals. With this shift, theaters became major business ventures, as the local newspaper

15 McKenzie Banner, July 4, 194, 1; McKenzie Banner, August 30, 1940, 1; and Report on McKenzie, Tennessee, William Waller Collection.

16 Joe F. Williams, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011. 17 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012.

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described the opening of the Park Theatre as “the biggest business development in McKenzie for the past decade.”18 It was expected to enhance the town’s business district and was to be operated under local management but owned by Rockwood Amusement Co.

The Rockwood Amusement Company, Inc.

While covering the construction and opening of the Park Theatre, the McKenzie Banner makes contradictory references to the corporate ownership and management of Rockwood Amusement Co. This is not the fault of the local newspaper; instead, the inconsistency is the result of Rockwood’s involvement and association with a regional circuit of seven theater chains. The officers and stockholders of these amusement companies overlapped to the point of being in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

On December 6, 1940, the McKenzie Benner lists Kermit C. Stengel as Rockwood’s president but seven months later, on July 4, 1941, the newspaper lists Tony Sudekum as at the head of the company with Stengel as the general manager. The paper continues with a description of Sudekum, noting he is “the South’s premier entertainment capitalist.” The newspaper further notes that “no man in the industry is better known or better loved by the managers of not only his own group of theatres, but by managers of opposition houses, film exchanges, producers and theatre employees from the operator to the door man.” This description is likely the result of his large holding of stock and influence on companies that owned the “opposition houses.” Between Sudekum and his son-in-law, Stengel, the movie theater business in the five-state region was largely dominated and monopolized by their circuit of film exhibitors. 19 These descriptions are in line with the findings of a United States Supreme Court case that determined both men, their company, and six other southern amusement companies violated the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

This violation lead to an antitrust lawsuit filed in 1939 and argued in the United States Supreme Court in 1944.20 The case, United States v. Crescent Amusement Co. et al, involved seven amusement companies that operated in five southern states and specialized in small-town movie theaters.21 These exhibitors were found to be unreasonably restraining “interstate trade and commerce in motion-picture films and to monopolize the exhibition of films in this area.”

18 McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941, 1. 19 McKenzie Banner, December 6, 1940, 1; and McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941, 1. 20 Michael Conant, Antitrust in the Motion Picture Industry: Economic and Legal

Analysis (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960) 88. 21 These seven companies include: Crescent Amusement Co.; Cumberland Amusement

Co.; Lyric Amusement Co., Inc.; Cherokee Amusements, Inc.; Kentucky Amusement Co., Inc.; Muscle Shoals Theaters; and Rockwood Amusement Co. They operated in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

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Included in the violation was “coercing or attempting to coerce independent operators into selling out to it.”22

A report on the old McKenzie Theatre, prepared by Rockwood in preparation for the trial, demonstrates the type of coercion described in Mr. Justice William Douglas’ opinion of the Court. Predatory film contracts for the Court Theatre, located twelve miles away in Huntingdon, contributed to McKenzie citizen’s dissatisfaction of their local theatre in addition to is desperate need of a remodeling. The $9,000 Rockwood paid to Douglas Moore was on the high end of amounts paid to theater owners; though prices ranged from simply taking over a lease to $15,000 for similar situations, these figures often were intended to purchase the good will of the seller.23

Ultimately, the United States Supreme Court judge, Justice Douglas described the level of officer and stockholder overlap seen in these seven companies like this:

Crescent, the principal exhibitor, owns 50% of the stock of Cumberland and Lyric. The majority of Crescent's stock is owned by defendant Sudekum, by certain of his relatives, and by defendants Stengel and Baulch. Prior to 1937 Crescent owned almost two-thirds of the stock of Muscle Shoals; since that time Muscle Shoals was run as a partnership in which Sudekum's wife had a half-interest. Defendant Stengel, Sudekum's son-in-law, is the record holder of all of Rockwood's stock. Rockwood owns 50% of the stock of Cherokee and Kentucky and of five other theatre corporations. Rockwood was operated as a ‘virtual branch’ of the Crescent business under the immediate supervision of Stengel. Sudekum is president of Crescent, Cumberland, and Lyric; Stengel is an officer and director of Kentucky and Cherokee. Sudekum was paid $200 a week by Cherokee ‘for his advice and assistance in running the business.’ Each of these companies was an exhibitor operating motion picture theatres.24

Many of these companies were ultimately forced to divest themselves of stock and interest in the other involved exhibitors. This lawsuit was one of the first of a series of national antitrust cases challenging the way films were distributed filed at the end of the 1930s that reached the Supreme Court. The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures mention of the case in its “1944 News Highlights” illustrates the case’s importance to the industry. The editor of The Film Daily notes in a brief section entitled, “Anti-Trust Litigation,” that “The year was

22 United States v. Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. (two cases). Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. v. United States. 323 U.S. 173. 1944, http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/323/323.US.173.17.18.19.html (accessed January 11, 2012).

23 Reports on all theaters affiliated with Crescent, William Waller Collection. 24 United States v. Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. (two cases). Crescent Amusement Co.

et. al. v. United States. 323 U.S. 173. 1944.

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marked by several other highly important anti-trust developments. The U. S. Supreme Court by a 5-1 division upheld the findings against the Crescent Amusement Co. The sweeping decision went beyond that of the local court.”25 It laid the legal background for the United States v. Paramount Pictures Supreme Court case, a case seen as critical in the revolutionary changes in the film industry.26 These cases, in addition to drive-in theaters and the growing popularity of TV helped contribute to the industry's decline in later years.

The Construction and Opening of the Park Theatre

Construction of the “New” Park Theatre began during the week of February 7, 1941, and it opened its doors for a night showing of Affectingly Yours on Thursday, July 3, 1941. The theater sold its first tickets for twenty-eight cents; the next day, the McKenzie Banner urged its readers to “spend the Fourth in the cool and comfort of the New Park Theatre” and see Judy Canova, Bob Crosby and his orchestra in Sis Hopkins.27 After its opening, the Park Theatre became central to the town’s social life; one McKenzie resident, Nola Hobbs, described the weekly trips to the theater as “that’s what you did” as a kid on Saturday afternoons while Robbie Story noted Saturdays being a big day because he was able to get his quarter and go to the theater.28 Robbie paid ten cents for a children’s ticket, another few for popcorn and a coke, and used the remaining change to purchase to bags of BBs from the Western Auto catty-corner to the theater. He also recalls getting out of the movie and playing on the cannon in the Downtown Veterans Memorial Park across from the theater.29 Whether they lived in town or the outlying area, McKenzie youth were sure to get cleaned up and head to the Park Theatre where they would purchase a ticket, popcorn, and a coke for under twenty-five cents.30

25 Chester B. Bahn, “1944 News Highlights,” in The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures, ed. Jack Alicoate, 27th ed. (Fort Lee, NJ: The Film Daily, 1945), 37.

26 Conant, Antitrust in the Motion Picture Industry,88-90, 107. 27 McKenzie Banner, February 7, 1941; and Advertisement, McKenzie Banner, Friday,

July 4, 1941. The national average for ticket prices in 1941 was 25.2 cents; for more prices by year see The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures, 47.

28 Nola Hobbs, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011; and Robbie Story, personal interview with author, McKenzie, December 1, 2011.

29 Robbie Story, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, August 9, 2012. 30 It is important to note that the ticket prices in the newspaper and interview accounts do

not match because the interviewees are remembering the children’s ticket prices. The McKenzie Banner is referencing adult ticket prices.

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Figure 2. Park Theatre as it likely appeared at its opening in 1941. Photograph taken c. 1949. Gabe Clericuzio, Photograph Albums, Private Collection.

Figure 3. Cannon in the Downtown Veterans Memorial Park that Robbie Story and his friends played on after the movie ended, c. 1943.

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Figure 4. Photograph of Marjory Clericuzio in ticket box. Note the prices. Children’s tickets were 24 cents cheaper than adult tickets in the late 1940s to mid-1950s. Gabe Clericuzio, Photograph Albums, Private Collection.

Because of earlier legislation, McKenzie moviegoers were able to enjoy the theater seven days a week. The State of Tennessee repealed its blue laws in 1935, allowing local municipalities to show Sunday movies while a 1939 law required approval by a majority vote for a city to do so.31 In a five to one vote on August 26, 1940, the McKenzie City Council voted to allow the McKenzie Theatre to operate on Sundays. The McKenzie Banner made this announcement in the same article that provided readers with general information regarding the anticipated theater. Arguments to gain City Council approval included, “Sunday movies have been showing all around McKenzie but people residing here had to leave town in order to see them” and “many of

31 “Sunday Closing Regulations,” in The 1945 Film Daily Year Book, 756.

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the younger set were going away to other places on Sunday.”32 Roy Johnson, theater manager, assured the Council and the public that his schedule of Sunday shows would not interfere with church services. McKenzie City Council minutes from August 26, 1940 resolved that “no such theatrical and motion picture entertainment shall be had on Sundays at or during the time that regular church or religious services are held.”33 Kenneth Harder, Park Theatre employee in the mid-1950s, remembers the theater having an early matinee at two o’clock, then being closed at four for church services, and opening around eight o’clock for a night show. Because of this arrangement, he does not recall there being any problems between the theater and local churches.34 Gabe Clericuzio confirms this noting that the two Sunday shows did not start until after church was over; at two and seven o’clock.35

Local Management, Operations, and Memories

The Park Theatre serves as a place of collective childhood and young-adult experiences for longtime McKenzie residents; most common of these memories is of “Mr. Eddie” Clericuzio and his flashlight. Clericuzio began working as a projectionist in 1946 and eventually took over the management of the theater for Rockwood; he maintained this position until 1973.36 Once the movie started, Mr. Eddie regularly walked up and down the aisles with his flashlight, ready to shine it on any young moviegoer caught misbehaving. Robert McDonald remembers, “A lot of the time, you got to kiss your girlfriend and he’d shine his flashlight and cut that stuff out.”37 Similarly, being hit with the beam of his flashlight served as a universally understood warning that the next time Mr. Eddie caught you misbehaving, you would be taken outside.38 Even though the Park Theatre was built with double-seats, with room for two or a larger individual, Mr. Eddie regularly interrupted any moviegoers who got too cozy. His watchful eye could be avoided at the drive-in theater built between Huntingdon, the county seat, and McKenzie in the 1950s.39 Linda Bolton sums up Mr. Eddie’s lasting influence on McKenzie through the Park

32 McKenzie Banner, August 30, 1940, 1. 33 Minutes of the Meeting of the Mayor and City Council, McKenzie, Tennessee, 26

August 1940, McKenzie, Tennessee City Hall. 34 Kenneth Harder, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011. 35 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 36 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 37 Robert McDonald, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011. 38 Jennifer Waldrick, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, September 29,

2011; Kenneth Harder, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011. 39 Rosalinda Winston and Robbie Story, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN,

December 1, 2011; and Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. This drive-in was also owned by Rockwood and was under Roy Johnson supervision, a regional manager. For more information on the Rockwood drive-ins, see pages 9 and 17.

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Theatre in noting, “Mr. Eddie was everybody’s parent, to keep you straight.”40 His parental role over all McKenzie youth sometimes made Gabe Clericuzio, Mr. Eddie’s son, unpopular at school but as his classmates grew up, they came to love the man with the flashlight and now have fond memories. When Mr. Eddie passed away, he was buried with a flashlight.41

In his time as theater manager, the whole Clericuzio family was involved in theater operations.42 In the mid-1950s, Marjorie Thompson Clericuzio, Mr. Eddie’s wife, took up and sold tickets while their son, Gabe, could be found on site.43 Marjorie had previously sold tickets in the early 1940s; she was doing so when her and her future husband first met. Marjorie’s parents were also involved in the theater’s operations; her mother, Effie Mae Thompson made the curtain that covered the screen while her father worked there as well. Gabe Clericuzio’s observations of his time at the theater is that he spent half of his life there; when he was a small child, Gabe often curled up in one of the double seats and took a nap, sleeping through the movie. Once a teenager, he began working alongside his parents, grandparents, local people, and Bethel students. The only thing Gabe did not do while working at the Park Theatre was ticket sales; he did everything else, including making and selling concessions and changing marquee letters. The last job was a task he hated to do – the left side of the marquee was difficult to change because the sidewalk and street here were unlevel, perching the ladder on this was precarious. Gabe remembers falling once. After growing up in the Park Theatre, Gabe notes that the theater or the movies shown there had no appeal for him as an adult.44

Gabe Clericuzio notes that his father’s dedication to the theater had as much to do with him being the manager as with being a perfectionist. He was also a “Mr. Fixit” who tried to purchase, hire, and use anything that could be found locally. Mr. Eddie’s paperwork was one of the least public aspects of his work but took considerable time, particularly during and after weekends. On weekends, Gabe remembers his father coming home late, hours after the nine o’clock movie ended on Saturday night– sometimes as late as one o’clock in the morning.45 On Monday, both Mr. Eddie and Marjorie would go up to the theater to count the money made over the weekend. All of the theater’s weekend income had to be held in the safe in Mr. Eddie’s office, the center office on the second floor above the lobby, because the banks were closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Mr. Eddie then deposited it at the bank. The theater’s paperwork was one task the local manager took very seriously. Gabe recalls that his father hated to go on vacation, often to his family’s home in New Jersey, because he would have to fix paperwork

40 Linda Bolton, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011. 41 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 42 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 43 Nola Hobbs, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011; and

Kenneth Harder, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011. 44 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 45 The nine o’clock Saturday night movie was the latest show all week at the Park

Theater. Friday and Sunday night movies began at seven o’clock.

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errors made in his absence. Some of this paperwork included reports that were mailed off, likely to Rockwood, on certain days.

Gabe described his father’s tendency to repair what he could himself rather than wait for the Rockwood repair service to come. Around Christmas one year, the projector head stripped shortly before the scheduled start of a show. Mr. Eddie did not want to wait for the repair service to come so he called the regional manager, Roy Johnson, to ask if he could borrow the head from a drive-in closed at the time. Mr. Eddie was able to get the part, install it, and start the show only thirty minutes late. He then returned the part before the drive-in needed it. This was typical of the Park Theatre’s dedicated manager.46

Mr. Eddie was also responsible for reporting to Rockwood throughout his time as the local manager. He made trips to Nashville once a year for meetings with the Rockwood head office while W. R. Holder, the company’s president in 1951, would come to McKenzie to meet and go fishing with Mr. Eddie. Gabe Clericuzio recalls that this was typical of Mr. Holder, who did quite a bit of traveling for Rockwood, meeting with the different managers and discussing company business.47

While the local manager took care of all substantial operations, the Park Theatre employed numerous local kids and Bethel College students while in operation.48 Locals and high school students tended to have a higher turnover than Bethel students did; this influenced the jobs Mr. Eddie gave each group. Because college students stayed around longer and remained in town during holidays, especially those from far away, Mr. Eddie hired Bethel students to run the projector. This job was largely worked by men; Gabe Clericuzio recalls, “I only remember guys applying for that job. There was no [A/C] in the projection booth. It was warm in there during the summer.” High school students and locals worked the concessions and tickets.49 In the mid-1950s, Kenneth Harder was a junior in high school and worked part-time at the theater; he remembers earning $16 working seven days a week. During the week, the theater opened at five or six for a night showing, and on the weekends, he also worked two additional matinees. Typical of local employees, his duties included working at the concession stand and keeping the marquee updated, which required attention every two or three days because of the constant movie rotation.50

46 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 47 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012;

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100, Page 323-326, November 3, 1951. 48 Nancy Holland, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011. 49 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012; Gabe

Clericuzio, e-mail message to author, July 19, 2012. 50 Kenneth Harder, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.

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While Kenneth Harder worked there, the Park Theatre typically showed a new movie on Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.51 Gabe Clericuzio’s remembers that the local manager, Mr. Eddie, had no control over the length of a movie’s run time. Instead, Rockwood determined the length of a show’s run time. Popular movies like Gone with the Wind and The Ten Commandments ran for two to three weeks.52 As one resident remembered, everyone regularly went to the movies so they constantly showed new pictures – none stayed for long.53 Ramona Washburn illustrates this regular attendance; she went to theater and saw every new movie while her husband worked the night shift at the McKenzie Banner.54

Such regular attendance brought the entire community to the theater but so did the food. Often people just stopped by for the hot dogs, candy, popcorn, and soft drink but frequently, people just wanted a cup of water. If this was the case, Mr. Eddie charged for the price of the cup.55 While working night shifts at the Post Office, John Reed remembers walking over to the theater to get a bag of popcorn in the early 1970s. This was a regular part of his routine and demonstrates the centrality of the Park Theatre in McKenzie’s community.56

World War II

In its early years of operation, the Park Theatre helped bring World War II to McKenzie through the war-related newsreels. In 1944, war related newsreels made up more than eighty-five percent of all shown to the national audience, with over one hundred million viewers seeing at least one of the biweekly releases.57 McKenzie moviegoers were no exception; community members remember seeing fighting in the trenches and the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests through the weekly newsreels.58 World War II made its way to this small west Tennessee town by more than just weekly newsreels; the theater screened movies made by Hollywood studios increasingly producing patriotic and propaganda films who worked under the influence and pressure of the federal Office of War Information and the Production Code Administration.59

51 Kenneth Harder, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011. 52 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 53 Nola Hobbs, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011. 54 Ramona Washburn, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011. 55 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 56 John Reed, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011. 57 Walton C. Ament and Francis S. Harmon, “Movies at War: 1944,” in The 1945 Film

Daily Year Book, 138. 58 Nola Hobbs, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011; and

Robert McDonald, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011. 59 Thomas Cripps, “Hollywood Goes to War,” in Hollywood’s High Noon: Movie Making

and Society before Television (Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1997), 188-205; and

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While McKenzie residents do not recall the theater specifically engaged in war efforts, like bond drives, the town as a whole did scrap iron drives.60 The cinematic industry consistently emphasized the critical role theaters played in communities nationwide by presenting the viewers with acceptable representations of America’s cultural and political enemies, appropriate social mores, and by being a safe and wholesome place to relax – even on Sundays. The 1942 Theater Catalog, an industry journal, reflects this sentiment in its dedication; “Dedicated to a defense of the Nation’s Morale through a constant vigilance to adequately maintain our Physical Theatres and the equipment…so that the Entertainment, Instruction, and Mental Relaxation produced by the Studios and by Our Government may be portrayed to the Public with a maximum of effectiveness…FOR THE DURATION!”61

Segregation

A product of its time and place, the Park Theatre has an inherently segregated history. As the McKenzie Banner began publishing articles on the proposed theater and its progress, authors unapologetically note the segregated layout of the future theater. As anticipated, the theater’s storefront, from right to left, ultimately had a small office at the corner of Cedar and Main Street, a “stairway leading to the negro balcony,” “double box office” next to main entrance “built so as to serve both white and colored patrons,” double doors to the lobby, and a stairway leading to three second floor offices.62 The segregated stairway, no longer extant, lead to a platform where African-Americans had separate bathroom facilities then continued up to a corner third of the balcony. If these patrons wished to buy concessions, they were required to purchase them from the woman selling tickets in the box office rather than inside.63 Gabe Clericuzio, the manager’s son, or another employee would bring concessions outside to African-American moviegoers.64

Kenneth Harder remembers there being a low wall that ran from the bottom of the first seat to the top of the balcony; this wall divided the African-American corner from the white portion. Because the dividing wall began at the first seat rather than the front of the balcony, African-Americans could use the whole balcony if no white patrons were sitting in the white

James Forsher, “Propaganda Wars” in The Community of Cinema: How Cinema and Spectacle Transformed the American Downtown (Westport, CN: Praeger Publishers, 2003), 76.

60 Joe F. Williams, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011; James Choate, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011.

61 Dedication in The Theatre Catalog: 1942, front matter. 62 McKenzie Banner, February 14, 1941, 1; and McKenzie Banner, January 31, 1941, 1. 63 Jennifer Waldrick and Jill Holland, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN,

September 29, 2011. 64 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012.

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balcony, which was normally closed until the bottom filled.65 Rosalinda Winston remembers the segregated theater noting, “Whites didn’t know it but [the balcony was the] best seat.” She also recalls President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 announcement of a bill that would become the 1964 Civil Rights Act as a turning point in McKenzie’s integration, after which the theater, schools, and businesses desegregated.66 Gabe Clericuzio’s memories of working at the theater support this; he notes that the theater desegregated before the schools did.67

Figure 5. Photograph shows the African-American corner of the balcony during segregation. Photograph by MTSU Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), Fall 2011 after seats removed.

65 Kenneth Harder, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011; and Robbie Story, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011.

66 Rosalinda Winston, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1, 2011. 67 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012.

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Figure 6. Remainder of the balcony reserved for white patrons if auditorium seating filled. Photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011 after seats removed.

Architecture

Clarence Speight, of the Speight and Hibbs architectural firm, directed the design and remodeling of the Park Theatre. Both he and the firm specialized in theater design and construction, having designed fifty movie theaters in the south by 1941. In the next twenty years, this number would grow to at least 200 as the firm remodeled or designed movie theaters for some of the largest amusement companies in the state, including the Ruffin Amusement Company of Covington, Cumberland Amusement Company of McMinnville, and the Park Theatre’s owner, Rockwood Amusements Company of Nashville.68 In 1945, Speight and Hibbs, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was one of three architectural firms listed in The 1945 Film Daily Year Book as operating in Tennessee; the other two were based in Memphis.69

The architectural firm’s renovations transformed a downtown grocer into a minimal Art Deco and Streamlined Moderne movie house that illustrates national trends common in small

68 Kimberley Murphy, “Ritz Theatre and Hoskins Rexall Drug Store No. 2” National Register nomination (1998), 15: and Vicki Smith, “Varsity Theater” National Register nomination (2010), 12.

69 “Theater Architects,” in The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures, ed. Jack Alicoate, 27th ed. (Fort Lee, NJ: The Film Daily, 1945), 697-699.

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towns at the end of the Great Depression and prior to the United States’ entry into World War II. At the end of the 1930s and early 1940s, entrepreneurs often could not afford to construct new buildings, opting to give buildings a practical and artful update that made use of inexpensive, “mass-produced and easy-to-install components” like brick and glass.70

Like many rural and small town theaters, the Park Theatre illustrates the architectural design and cost considerations required of a small town theater while also providing McKenzie theatergoers with “the largest and most modernly equipped in any West Tennessee town of McKenzie’s size.”71 In the early stages of the remodel, the McKenzie Banner boasted of the features that would make it “a modern plant in every respect.” These included a “washed air ventilation system,” a “modern fireproof projection room,” “modern cushioned seats,” and the best sound equipment.72 Air washers were used in commercial air conditioning systems; they cleansed the air of smoke, dust, and particles by sending air through a mist of cold water. This system reduced humidity and lowered the temperature of the air, creating an artificially controlled environment for customer comfort.73 Even with these modern conveniences, the new theater was estimated to have cost above $30,000, which appears to be comparable to other new theater constructions in the region.74

With its modern washed air ventilation system and heating plant underneath the stage, the Park Theatre could serve as a year round entertainment haven and a place to escape reality, if only for a few hours. Joe Williams, an employee of both theaters in McKenzie and moviegoer, described the washed air as “alright,” noting that the “draft” did more cooling than the wash.75 Unlike Joe, Gabe Clericuzio describes the cooling system as creating a refrigerator-like environment.76

Even though health laws required movie theaters to install and maintain adequate ventilation systems, their owners and managers saw the financial benefits of air conditioning and humidity control. Until the late 1930s and early 1940s, air-conditioning was not widely popular

70 Richard Longstreth, The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture, in the Building Watchers Series (Washington, D. C.: Preservation Press, 1987), 49; and David Gebhard, The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America (New York: Preservation Press, 1996), 9-10.

71 McKenzie Banner, December 6, 1940, 1. At the time the theater opened, McKenzie had a population of 1,858 people. See Charles Spurgeon Johnson, and Lewis Wade Jones, Statistical Atlas of Southern Counties; Listing and Analysis of Socio-Economic Indices of 1104 Southern Counties, (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1941).

72 McKenzie Banner, February 7, 1941, 1; and “McKenzie Banner, December 6, 1940, 1. 73 Gail Cooper, Air-Conditioning America: Engineers and the Controlled Environment,

1900-1960 (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998), 27-2, 55, 113. 74 McKenzie Banner, June 27, 1941; and Histories, Crescent Amusement Company. 75 Joe F. Williams, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 5, 2011. 76 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012.

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in the residential market; movie theaters, public buildings, and schools were among the few places that conditioned air. As a result, theaters nationwide promoted their “healthfully cool” interiors and the comfort of air-conditioned theaters. Their installation became an integral part of the luxurious movie going experience and contributed to the illusion of perfect order designed by architects and promoted by managers. While movie theaters provided the ideal market for comfort air-conditioning systems, they also transformed theatergoing from a seasonal to a year round activity and served to convince the American public of the benefits and comforts of conditioned air. Through theater attendance, the residential and home market for air-conditioning units expanded, particularly after the Great Depression. By the time the Park Theatre was built, 92% of all theaters in the nation had some form of air treatment.77

The Park Theatre’s original light fixtures, still in place, reflect national ideals for theater interiors in the early 1940s. In the Theatre Catalog, Nashville architect, Joseph W. Holman wrote about the benefits of indirect lighting for the patron saying, “a proper lighting scheme for the interior of a theatre should provide a gradual transition from the brilliancy of the marquee to the darkness of the auditorium.” He also argues “A light source should never be visible to the eyes of patrons in the modern motion picture theatre,” because the theaters sell their product in “semi-darkness” and must maintain the proper atmosphere.78 Architect, Clarence Speight of Speight & Hibbs was aware of these design recommendations and reflected these in the McKenzie Banner newspaper article, stating, “soft lights flow from indirect fixtures giving the atmosphere a warm, exotic pleasantry.”79 See Figure 17 and Figure 18 below.

The Park Theatre also illustrates the growing concern for fire safety and prevention in its design and construction. As recommended by small town theater architectural specialist in 1942, Paul Evans, the Park Theatre provided theatergoers with a fireproof projection room, concrete slab flooring, and steel roof girders.80 The theater still has possession of an original fire extinguisher.

The auditorium of the Park Theatre retains much of its original design seen in the lighting fixtures, Art Deco wall panels, original stage and curtains, and sloped floor. Some original chairs

77 Cooper, Air-Conditioning America, 80-82, 108, 112. The Homewood Theatre of Birmingham, Alabama boasted “It’s Cool” and “Healthfully Cool” under their marquee. And “A Summary of Modern Fronts: Designed in 1941,” in The Theatre Catalog: 1942, vol. 3 (Philadelphia: Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., 1942), 209, 212; and Advertisement, McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941.

78 Joseph W. Holman, “The Theatrical Possibilities of Indirect Lighting,” in The Theatre Catalog: 1942, 19.

79 McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941. 80 McKenzie Banner, February 7, 1941, 1; McKenzie Banner, February 21, 1941, 1; and

Paul K. Evans, Effects that can be Gained with – Construction Economies,” in The Theatre Catalog: 1942, 141-143.

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are still intact, but are currently in storage off-site. Although the exterior of the theater has undergone some changes to the lower part, the upper portion that features strong vertical elements is still intact. See Figure 19 below.

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ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

The Park Theatre is located on the north corner of Cedar and North Main Streets in McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee, facing southwest toward the Downtown Veterans Memorial Park. The Park Theatre is in a moderate Art Deco style designed by the architectural firm, Speight and Hibbs of Clarksville, Tennessee. The remodeling began the first week of February 1941 and opened to the public five months later on July 3, 1941. Prior to the remodel, the building functioned as a fifteen-car dealership and a wholesale grocer. While the specific date of construction is unknown, it was built sometime after 1910, likely around 1920. By 1926, Chevolet Sales and Services operated in the building; in the following years, Lovelace-Farmer Wholesale Grocery did as well.81 The rectangular building measures 99’5” by 50’ and originally sat approximately 600 patrons, had three office spaces on the second floor, and a small southeast corner office on the ground floor.82 The building is on a concrete slab foundation and has a brick exterior. The southwest facing elevation has a remodeled storefront and replacement marquee; above the marquee, the upper façade is finished with vertical brick detailing painted off-white. The upper façade was not originally painted at the time of the theater’s opening; the McKenzie Industrial Board did this in 2001.83 The storefront has been remodeled twice; once sometime before 1986 and again in 2002. The lobby was remodeled with the second storefront remodel. The city is exploring options to restore the structure to its 1941 appearance.84

The upper façade has seen few changes, but the original lower façade underneath the marque consisted of a pattern of recessed entrances across the façade and structural Carrara glass. The original recessed entrance doors across the façade, moving northwest to southeast, was arranged in this pattern: a single door leading to the upstairs offices, a canted corner recessing two separate double door entrances to the theater lobby, a projecting box office

81 Sanborn Map Company, “McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: January 1910,” (New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1910); and Sanborn Map Company, “McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October 1926,” (New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1926); and Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, “Real Estate Assessment Data,” under Carroll County, Cedar St 2312, http://www.assessment.state.tn.us/ (accessed February 5, 2013).

82 Mark W. Hawks, Floor Plans, “Building Renovation: The McKenzie Theater.” Design Consultants, Inc.

83 “New Sign at Old Movie Theater,” McKenzie Banner, June 20, 2001, online archive, “Local News,” www.mckenziebanner.net/2001/2001news/news_June20_2001.htm (accessed July 19, 2012).

84 Joel Washburn, “McKenzie Welcome Center is Under Construction,” McKenzie Banner, November 20, 2002, online archive, “Local News,” www.mckenziebanner.net/2002/2002_news/news_Nov20_02.htm (accessed July 19, 2001); SmugMug, “McKenzie Historic Photo Gallery ,” “1986 homecoming86parade,” photograph on the Banner's Home profile, http://banner.smugmug.com/History/McKenzie-Historic-Photo/18384306_ZJnjGS#!i=1417065262&k=nM8zLgx (accessed February 5, 2013); and McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941, 1.

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window (octagonal in shape), the African-American single door entrance, and the single door entrance to the corner store. There were originally six permanent movie-poster display boxes underneath the marque; a narrow one to the northwest of the door leading upstairs, one on each side of the canted corner, one between the double doors leading to the lobby, and a final box southeast of the African-American entrance. See Appendix B.

The Carrara glass was two colors; at the theater’s opening, the McKenzie Banner describes it as “cream finished and decorated in harmony with the rest of the exterior” but does not give the second color. The unnamed color was black and on the bottom portion of storefront while the cream colored glass spanned from the top of the black to directly under the marque. Chromium molding framed the Carrara glass, doors, poster boxes, and windows. Two double-doors painted “Chinese red” and “trimmed in chromium hardware” lead to the lobby.85 These doors were not centered under the marque; the northwest doors were underneath the edge of the text panel and “T” while the southeast doors were underneath the “EA” of the marque.

The corner shop, located in the southeastern-most corner of the storefront, has a southwest-facing door and window. The door had a light framed with wood. On the elevation facing North Main (southeast), the Carrara glass treatment continued for about six to ten feet and included a large window. See Appendix A, Figure 34. On the ground, leading into each of the main double-doors, was a dark band of tile framed with a lighter color. See Figure 35 and Figure 36.

The commercial two-part vertical block building faces southwest onto Cedar Street and has two stories, with a height of thirty feet.86 When built in 1941 and until the 1980s, the building had two storefronts; the theater and a small store at the southeast corner of the block.

The store has since been incorporated into the main portion of the building. The marquee and windows divide the elevation into two zones. The ground level storefront has been altered and has a concrete/stucco façade that covers the original box office and southeast corner office.87 The off-centered double doors reflect the 1941 layout that made room for the corner office. The lobby doors were replaced c. 1986 with metal-and-glass double doors and new tinted glass. The doors are flanked on either side by two metal-framed display windows. Two similarly constructed transom windows are even with the fixed panes. To the west, a single metal-and

85 “McKenzie’s New Theatre Opens This Week: The ‘Park’ is Build of Best Materials and Latest Design,” McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941. Nola Hobbs identified the second color as black; this information was related to the author via an email; Jennifer Waldrup, e-mail message to author, March 5, 2013.

86 Hawks, Floor Plans. 87 Sanborn Map Company, “McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October 1926” with

1944 Correction (New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1944).

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framed glass door provides access to the second floor offices; the 1941 original remained in place until c. 2002.88

Figure 7. Park Theatre c. 1949, Full Façade. People unknown but notice the African-American man looking at a movie poster in front of the left lobby door. Gabe Clericuzio, Photograph Albums, Private Collection.

88 Washburn, “McKenzie Welcome Center,” McKenzie Banner, November 20, 2002.

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Figure 8. Current façade. Photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

The second story five-bay façade and windows are original to the 1941 remodel and maintain the Art Deco design elements. The bricks are painted an off-white color, done in 2001. The central bay contains a set of three windows with a wide three-light awning window flanked on either side by a narrower three-light fixed window. The flanking bays each contain a narrow three-light awning window.

The structure’s exterior Art Deco elements are contained to this front elevation; the building’s verticality is emphasized by fluting reminiscent of classical columns that extends from the tops of the windows and ends at the roofline. These details emphasize the building’s modern architectural style against the other early twentieth century structures on its row of commercial buildings. The second-story central bay is slightly recessed from the facade; here the central set of windows is topped with concrete paneling that transitions into corbelled brick columns. On either side of the concrete paneling are round mounting anchors from the original marquee. The brick corbelling and vertical flutes above the left and right window sets draw the eye upward. These windows provide light to the second story office space. Brickwork on the front elevation is laid in American stretcher bond. The brick façade extends above the wall into a parapet, capped with concrete copping.

The southeast elevation – facing Main Street – has a brick elevation laid in American stretcher bond. Concrete stucco, from the storefront, wraps around the first few feet; the remainder of the elevation is brick, interrupted only by a second-story three-light awning window toward the front of the structure and double doors near the rear of the elevation.

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Running the length of the ground floor, six or seven bricked in windows are visible. Concrete coping switches to metal coping feet from the corner and caps the sloping parapet to the rear of the elevation. See Figure 9.

The rear elevation – facing northeast – brickwork is laid mostly in American stretcher bond but the presence of numerous bricked in windows, four window sills, and two large square second-story voids for the original air-wash system interrupt the pattern. There are two modern metal rear-entry single doors, one on either end of the elevation and exterior access to the basement. A brick chimney is visible from the back lot.

Figure 9. Southeast elevation of the Park Theatre. Photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

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Figure 10. Original rear elevation before the air conditioning unit was removed by the McKenzie Industrial Board. Photograph taken between 1999 and 2002. McKenzie Industrial Board, Polaroid Photographs, Private Collection.

Figure 11. Photograph of rear elevation during the 2012 summer. Photograph by Cassandra Bennett, McKenzie Historic Zoning Commission intern.

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The interior has undergone some remodeling, particularly with the lobby renovation in c. 2002. The original exterior box office, bathrooms, and concession stand have been removed and replaced with an interior box office, new bathrooms, and a snack bar. In addition, a closet has been added. Entering from the street through the double doors, the entryway slopes up and levels with the rest of the floor. The snack bar is located between the two double doors leading into the auditorium on the northeast wall of the lobby. There is a freestanding structural column located off the south corner of the snack bar and white ceiling tiles cover the original ceiling treatment. See Figure 12 and Figure 13. When the theater was segregated, the white balcony was accessed through the lobby; this stairwell is still original and is located near the northwest auditorium door. See Figure 15 below. From the lobby, the theater is accessed through original double doors on either side of the snack bar; the original red paint color is visible under a thin white coat of paint. See

Figure 16 and Figure 17.

Figure 12. Northeast side of lobby with 2002 renovations. Photograph taken in Fall 2011 by MTSU CHP.

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Figure 13. Center of lobby with 2002 renovations. Photograph taken in Fall 2011 by MTSU CHP.

Figure 14. Northwest side of lobby with 2002 renovations. Photograph taken in Fall 2011 by MTSU CHP.

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Figure 15. Image shows the stairwell leading to the white portion of the balcony from the northwest corner of the lobby. A July 4, 1941 McKenzie Banner article notes that these stairs were originally carpeted. Photograph by MTSU CHP Fall 2011.

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Figure 16. The 1941 double-doors leading from the lobby to the auditorium remain intact. They appear to have originally painted red. Newspaper articles confirm this theory. Photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

The main auditorium, though under renovation, reflects a combination of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles in an architectural finishing and color scheme present at the 1941 opening. Unlike the exterior, the auditorium has a pronounced Streamline Modern influence as seen in the lighting fixtures, horizontality of lines, and rounded features flanking the stage. See Figure 17.

The original Art Deco color scheme is seen in the pale green and blue above and below the deep red band that expands horizontally along the sidewalls from the stage to the balcony. The balcony’s auditorium-facing front railing is painted the same deep red while an additional band on the sidewalls is lighter in tone; it rises from the balcony and makes a rounded right angle to extend to the rear of the auditorium. At opening, it was described in the McKenzie Banner as a “Modern interior…finished in a pale green.” Though the original aisle carpet is not present, it complemented the green “to carry out the color scheme.”89

89 McKenzie Banner, June 27, 1941, 1.

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Figure 17. Art Deco color scheme and Streamline Modern influenced curves. Notice the rounded corner of the stage at the far right. Photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

Accent lighting fixtures emphasize the horizontality and rounded corners of the red band and continue the Streamline Modern style. The half-circle fixtures are the same pale green as the top-most parts of the elevation and employ three horizontal bands. These bands extend several feet from the fixture towards the rear of the auditorium, tapering off in a stepped fashion. Each side elevation – northwest and southeast – has three fixtures; two in the main auditorium and one in the balcony.

Figure 18. Photographs show detail shots of the light fixtures. Photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

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Figure 19. Photographs on the top show the original seating arrangement and chairs in the auditorium and balcony before removed by the Industrial Board in early 2011. These photographs were taken between 1999 and 2002. McKenzie Industrial Board, Polaroid Photographs, Private Collection. Bottom photographs show some of the approximately 600 chairs in off-site storage, taken in Fall 2011, by MTSU CHP.

All upholstery (chairs and carpet) has been removed due to poor condition. The chairs are currently in storage offsite and most are beyond repair; once the renovations are complete, examples of the three different styles will be reinstalled. In addition, the original ceiling tiles have been removed due to their condition, exposing the rafters of the roof and balcony.

The original stage, at the northeast end of the theater, is still extant and is painted black. On either side are single door openings that access the backstage area, sound equipment, and exit to the back lot and alley. The stage is shallow, limiting its use to the screening of movies. Historic, possibly original, red-and-white draw curtains remain intact but the screen is a replacement.

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Figure 20. The original stage and screen as it appeared between 1999 and 2002. McKenzie Industrial Board, Polaroid Photographs, Private Collection.

Figure 21. Stage and remnants of screen as it appeared in Fall 2011. Photograph by MTSU CHP.

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The balcony cantilevers out over the main auditorium and is built with wood trusses. It originally sat approximately 200 patrons. The original projection equipment remains intact. The projection room is off-centered, sitting to the west. The southeast section of the balcony was historically segregated for African-American patrons – a segregated stairwell at the north of this area establishes the perimeter of the section. Prior to renovations, these stairs extended straight down, exited onto Cedar Street, and to south of the original box office. The bottom half of the staircase was removed to make room for a women’s restroom in the downstairs lobby area. The segregated restrooms remain intact and are located on the landing between the first and second story.

The second story office space is accessed via a street level single-door at the western-most portion of the Cedar Street façade. The hallway, three offices, two restrooms, and two storage closets sit between the balcony and lobby. The second-story office space floor is on the same level as the balcony. See Figure 24. The floors are hardwood and the walls are painted green or tan. The ceiling in the restrooms, closets, and northern-most portion of the south office slope upward as the balcony increases in height. The doors and their hardware are original to the building and have Art Deco features, complementing the rest of the building.

Although the lobby and original storefront of the theater have been remodeled, the upper part of the exterior and the auditorium retain much of the stylization of the original theater. It retains its integrity of location, setting, feeling, and association.

Figure 22. Note the wood trusses and off-centered projection room to the right. During segregation, African-American moviegoers were limited to the left side of the balcony.

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Figure 23. During segregation, African-American moviegoers used this stairwell and extant platform with bathrooms to the left and right. Changes to the building in 2002 terminated this stairwell at the platform. Photograph by MTSU CHP, taken Fall 2011.

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Figure 24. In this image, the light from the second-floor office space is visible through the support beams of the balcony. This photograph was taken to show the southeastern corner of the auditorium and looks out a door to the lobby. Directly above the photographer is the balcony. Photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

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TIMELINE OF BUILDING ALTERATIONS, OWNERSHIP, & EVENTS

c. 1920 Two story, concrete floor building with a composition roof built. There was one row of wooden posts.90

1926 Chevolet Sales & Service operated in the building and had a fifteen-car capacity. No known changes between 1920 and 1926.91

c. 1927 – 1940 Operated as Lovelace-Farmer & Company until March of 1940. It is unknown when it stopped operating as a car dealership and began operating as a grocer.92

1936 ca. L. N. Dunlap, of the Caledonia Masonic Lodge, contacted Rockwood Amusement Co. and offered to lease the theater portion of the Lodge. Rockwood declined the offer.93

1939 April 4 Rockwood Amusement Co. purchased the McKenzie Theatre from Douglas Moore for $9,000. Early in 1939, Rockwood “leased a storeroom in the heart of the best business block” with plans to remodel and open the building as a new movie theater; this was the motivation Moore needed to sell out to Rockwood.94

1940 March 21 Rockwood Amusement Co. purchased a parcel of land and its brick building in downtown McKenzie from C. H. and Nannie Bateman.95

1940 April 3 Roy Johnson appears in the McKenzie Banner celebrating the first anniversary of Rockwood’s presence in McKenzie.

1940 July – August Rockwood Amusement Co. brought Roy Johnson from Nashville to help set up and transition from the McKenzie Theatre to the new Park Theatre; Johnson appears in the McKenzie Banner in July 1940 announcing an

90 Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, “Real Estate Assessment Data,” under Carroll County, Cedar St 2312, http://www.assessment.state.tn.us/ (accessed July 28, 2012); and 1926 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, McKenzie, TN, page 2.

91 1926 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, McKenzie, TN, page 2. 92 McKenzie Banner, December 6, 1940, 1; and McKenzie Banner, March 29, 1940, 1. 93 Histories, Crescent Amusement Company. 94 Histories, Crescent Amusement Company. 95 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 77, Page 1, March 21, 1940; and McKenzie

Banner, December 6, 1940, 1; and McKenzie Banner, March 29, 1940, 1.

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increase in ticket prices and the following month, successfully petitioning the City Council to allow the showing of movies on Sunday.96

1941 Jan 31 – Feb 21 Construction began on February 7 with architects from Speight & Hibbs of Clarksville directing the design and a contractor from Jackson, Hubert Owen. Workers laid a new foundation, replaced the ceiling, and installed a heating plant under the stage.97

1941 July 3 Theater opened, fully transformed from a 20th century commercial building to a minimal Art Deco / Streamlined Moderne movie house.98

1944 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map show the theater with a concrete floor and a wood frame balcony. The front portion of the theater has two to three stories while the rear portion has one to two stories. The store located at the corner of Cedar and Main is separated from the rest of the building with a frame partition.99

1943 – 1944 Rockwood Amusement, Inc. is involved in a Supreme Court case that determines that this company and six other exhibitors in a five-state area violated the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.The decision was first made by the Tennessee Supreme Court but was appealed and decided in favor of the United States.100 Many of these companies were ultimately forced to divest themselves of stock and interest in the other involved exhibitors.

1946 “Mr. Eddie” Clericuzio began working at the Park Theatre as a projectionist. Sometime in the mid-1940s Roy Johnson of Rockwood Amusement, Inc. transferred the management of the theater to Mr. Eddie.101

1951 Nov 3 Rockwood Amusements, Inc. underwent liquidation and established Kermit C. Stengel as the sole stockholder for $1.00; the company transferred this property and other parcels in five different cities, to

96 McKenzie Banner, July 4, 194, 1; and McKenzie Banner, August 30, 1940, 1. 97 McKenzie Banner, January 31, 1941, 1; and McKenzie Banner, February 7, 1941, 1;

and McKenzie Banner, February 21, 1941, 1. 98 McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941, 1. 99 1926 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map with 1944 edits, McKenzie, TN, page 2. 100 United States v. Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. (two cases). Crescent Amusement Co.

et. al. v. United States. 323 U.S. 173. 1944; and Michael Conant, Antitrust in the Motion Picture Industry: Economic and Legal Analysis (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960) 88.

101 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012.

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Stengel on November 3. J. H. Carothers is listed as the company’s secretary and W. R. Holder is listed as the president.102

1951 Nov 5 Rockwood Theatres, Inc. was incorporated in Tennessee and purchased all of the recently liquidated property from Stengel for $1.00.103 The Park Theatre property in McKenzie was one of these transferred tracts of land.

1963 – 1964 The Park Theatre desegregated before McKenzie schools did; this is remembered as occurring after President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 announcement of a bill that would become the 1964 Civil Rights Act.104

1973 Mr. Eddie Clericuzio retired from managing the Park Theatre and each of the Clericuzios received free lifetime ticket vouchers to the theater.105

1984 Nov 26 Rockwood Theatres, Inc. transferred the tract of land and the “Park Theatre Building” to Rayburn A. and Brenda Kaye O’Brien for $10 despite its appraised value of $31,500.106

1986 A photograph from the 1986 Tennessee Homecoming Parade in McKenzie shows alterations to the marquee and major changes to the storefront. The former Art Deco design, with a dark and cream-colored structural glass, Chinese red double-doors, the corner office, segregated entrance, and ticket box have all been removed. They have been replaced with stationary windows that are like a window wall. It looks like a gravel wall treatment covers panels of the storefront. The original 1941 door might remain for the upstairs offices.107

1991 Jan 29 Rayburn A. and Brenda Kaye O’Brien sold the theater to Leslie E. Curtis for $10.108

1992 A c. 1992 photograph shows the Park Theatre with its historic upper façade and an extended view of storefront alterations made before 1986.

102 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100, Page 323-326, November 3, 1951. 103 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100, Page 326-329, November 5, 1951. 104 Rosalinda Winston, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, December 1,

2011; and Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 105 Gabe Clericuzio, personal interview with author, McKenzie, TN, May 30, 2012. 106 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 216, Page 208, November 26, 1984. 107 SmugMug, “McKenzie Historic Photo Gallery ,” “1986 homecoming86parade,”

photograph on the Banner's Home profile, http://banner.smugmug.com/History/McKenzie-Historic-Photo/18384306_ZJnjGS#!i=1417065262&k=nM8zLgx (accessed February 5, 2013); and McKenzie Banner, July 4, 1941, 1.

108 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 246, Page 088, January 29, 1991.

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This image shows that the African-American entrance is covered. The marquee shown in 1986 is different, possibly remnants of the original but it is unclear.109

1999 Aug 13 The Industrial Development Board of the City of McKenzie, Tennessee purchased the parcel on which the Park Theatre stood for $10 from Leslie E. Curtis.110

1999 – 2001 A series of photographs provided by the McKenzie Industrial Development Board shows the Park Theatre during the early stages of their renovation work. Figure 41 shows the front after the marquee was removed and before the new one was replaced in June 2001. Also shows the theater before the gravel wall treatment and original 1941 door to the upstairs office was replaced. Figure 10 illustrates the rear elevation with its intact cooling units. It is possible that this was the original air wash system but might be a more recent upgrade.111

2001 Early in 2001, the Industrial Board installed a new roof and applied paint to the exterior. The roof was paid for by a grant.112

2001 June 13 – 20 A new marquee was installed by the Industrial Board, paid for by a grant.113

2002 Nov 20 McKenzie Welcome Center was under construction, transforming the lobby. A grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation funded most of the construction. Work was done by a McKenzie contractor, Micah Beasley Construction Company. ADA restrooms were added while the concrete flooring was torn out for new plumbing and electrical conduits. The grant also provided funding for central heat and air, lighting, and wiring. At the time, the remnants of the African-American staircase

109 Carroll Van West, “Park Theater,” ca. 1992, MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

110 Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 300, Page 225-227, August 13, 1999. 111 McKenzie Industrial Board, “Park Theater,” c. 1999-2002, McKenzie Industrial

Board, McKenzie, Tennessee; and Gabe Clericuzio, e-mail message to author, July 26, 2012. 112 “New Sign at Old Movie Theater,” McKenzie Banner, June 20, 2001; and Washburn,

“McKenzie Welcome Center,” McKenzie Banner, November 20, 2002. 113 “New Sign at Old Movie Theater,” McKenzie Banner, June 20, 2001; and Washburn,

“McKenzie Welcome Center,” McKenzie Banner, November 20, 2002.

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was visible when looking up from the lobby. The McKenzie Industrial Board initiated the work.114

114 Washburn, “McKenzie Welcome Center,” McKenzie Banner, November 20, 2002.

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HERITAGE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

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ORGANIZATION & OWNERSHIP

Become a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, public charity to own and manage funds related to the Park Theatre. There are several reasons for this arrangement, most important being the ability to access more grant money than if the City of McKenzie owns and operates the building. Another important reason is the increased likelihood of receiving large donations; if you have nonprofit status, donors are more likely to give more if they will be able to claim a tax write-off. Not-for-profit status will exempt the organization from federal taxes but to receive state benefits, you must also form a nonprofit corporation in Tennessee.

According to the IRS, a public charity is set up to “have an active program of fundraising and receive contributions from many sources, including the general public, governmental agencies, corporations, private foundations or other public charities,” or “receive income from the conduct of activities in furtherance of the organization’s exempt purposes.” They also can “actively function in a supporting relationship to one or more existing public charities.”115

In addition to having nonprofit status, the organization must have a board that is well connected with the local professional and fundraising communities. Involvement in such groups will likely provide more funds and consistent support than relying on regional, state, or national grants.

The board should develop a planning document that outlines the organization’s goals regarding fundraising, restoration stages, and operations for the next five or more years. This will help give direction and keep the organization on target as the project moves forward.

115 “Life Cycle of a Public Charity/Private Foundation,” Internal Revenue Service, 20 February 2012, http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=136459,00.html (July 20, 2012).

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Nonprofit Resources

Federal

The IRS publication, “Life Cycle of a Public Charity/Private Foundation,” is important in gaining an understanding of how to form, run, and manage a public charity within the regulations of the IRS. It is necessary read. http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=122670,00.html

“Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization” is another publication by the IRS. It outlines the application process, regulations, and organizations that qualify for tax-free status. See http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=244601,00.html for the most up-to-date publication.

State

Access state forms to form a nonprofit corporation through the Secretary of the State’s webpage. Here is the direct link to the appropriate forms. This page will have the most up-to-date information http://www.tn.gov/sos/bus_svc/forms.htm#nonprofit.

Forming your board of directors:

For more information on establishing an effective nonprofit board, visit Board Source: Building Effective Nonprofit Boards for tips and assistance. http://www.boardsource.org/

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EARLY STAGES: PLANNING

The most important steps in the process to sustainable operation is the initial planning process.

In the Historic Theatre Rescue, Restoration, Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse Manual, the League of Historic American Theatres lists 10 steps that should inform the renovation project. They involve extensive planning and encourage project leaders to invest in the planning stage of the renovation with both time and finances.

Here is the list:116 Assessing Project Potential

1. Research and Goal Setting 2. Community Consultations 3. Financial Planning 4. Site Stabilization

Developing the Project Plan 5. Planning and Feasibility Studies 6. Implementation 7. Consultant Selection

Implementing the Project Plan 8. Architectural Services 9. Business Start Up 10. Projection Communications and Opening Night

Notice that it is not until number 8 that physical work begins; all work before is developing plans, communicating with the public, and setting goals. The importance of thorough planning cannot be overstated; without it, your goals can be derailed by wandering phases that do not work towards short- and long-term success. These derailments will lead to wasted money, time, and morale – all of which are hard to come by and difficult to replace.

In the early planning stages, it will be worthwhile to create a case statement that tells who you are, what you are trying to do, and why. It also details the project’s and building’s history, the organization’s vision, and the plan for achieving goals. Having a case statement will make it easier to approach investors, donors, and potential members. The statement should make it clear that the organization has a plan and with its success, will be satisfying a real need within the

116 “10 Steps in Historic Theatre Rescue, Restoration, Rehabilitation, and Adaptive Reuse,” in Historic Theatre Rescue, Restoration, Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse Manual (Bel Air, MD: League of Historic American Theatres, 2006), 4.

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community. Clearly state how much money is needed, why, and how it will be spent; people are more likely to respond if they can see how their dollar will help.

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BUILDING INTEREST

1. Work with the McKenzie Banner to have monthly articles about / by former theater employees who reminisce about their memories. Conclude each article with a call for historic photographs or other relevant materials.

2. Every time something is happening at the theater, make sure the public knows what is going on. Keep them informed about progress via printed media, social networks, radio, etc. This will make the community feel involved and potentially make them more inclined to become members of the [Friends Group] or make donations.

3. Consider designating the Park Theatre as a local historic landmark; this likely falls under the purview of the Historic Zoning Commission and should be coordinated with this board.

4. Consider placing a Tennessee Historical Commission marker on the site. This is a designation that does not rely on the historic integrity of the architecture; rather it focuses on the building’s history and its role in the community. See Appendix C on page 90. Be sure to have a marker dedication event and issue press releases to area news sources, social networks, etc.

5. Set up booth space at all community events; in addition to providing fun and engaging activities and merchandise, ask visitors to consider joining your mailing list. Also have membership applications.

6. Create a quarterly newsletter that is sent out by email or mail. Build up the mailing list through community events, a contact list from each of your board members, and social media. (Note – if your board members are not willing to send letters to their friends or provide their contact information to ask them to consider becoming a member, the organization has a problem.) This newsletter should be available to nonmembers as a way to build their interest and entice new memberships. With each communication sent out, request that they become a member and provide a link to your website and/or a membership form. See how many people you can get to sign up for your newsletter in the first three or four months then try to double this over the next eight or nine months.

7. Try to hold lectures every quarter that focus on topics relevant to the theater, its architecture, the building’s history, stories about Mr. Eddie, etc. Invite your members and the public. Recruit volunteers to help with refreshments (donated by businesses, groups, or individuals), a sign-in/contact sheet, and facilitate the event. Each board member could take a lecture and coordinate the speaker, donations, and volunteers.

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PARTNERSHIPS

As a new organization, and even after years of successful work, community partnerships are a critical part of the successful development, planning, and preservation of the theater. At every opportunity the [Friends Group] should partner with local, state, and national non-profits, government offices and agencies, and interested individuals, businesses, and organizations. Compile a list of potential partners and contacts to reference when forming your board, planning events, and building interest; these partners should be enlisted for cooperative efforts.

Even if the Park Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the historic district, its primary significance lies in McKenzie and the surrounding area. Because of this, it will be important for the local community, who will be the primary beneficiary, to take responsibility for a major portion of the financial costs.

The [Friends Group] board of directors or executives should contact corporations and businesses operating in the area about corporate giving. They should also be responsible for contacting elected officials representing McKenzie and the surrounding area. Support from state legislators and Congress members can provided critical support when political grants or significant appropriations work their way through state or federal channels.

Some grants require evidence of widespread community support. Partnerships throughout the community and with support from local organizations, businesses, and individuals can help provide this. They also help leverage funds and in-kind donations which will be of assistance.

If the [Friends Group] decides to rent the facility out for special functions, consider your pricing. The Crockett Theater and Creative Arts Center in Lawrenceburg rents the theater by the day and charges $500 and $300 to nonprofits.

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POSSIBLE USES FOR THE PARK THEATER

In discussion with Mayor Jill Holland, it is clear that the City of McKenzie would like to restore the Park Theatre to its original 1941 appearance. The interior has the potential to return to its former status as a community-gathering place. The following are the ideas discussed with Mayor Holland. It is possible that several of these can be combined.

1. Movie Theater

Though it is unlikely to return to showing first-run movies, the Park Theatre can return to its former use showing second-runs and DVD-released movies. Limiting the number of operational nights/days initially will allow the [Friends Group] to adjust to demand rather than opening seven days a week and crippling efforts. Think about planning around church services, regularly scheduled community events (high school / university sports, meetings, etc.), and the class/extracurricular schedules of Bethel students.

Consider having businesses, nonprofits, individuals, or groups sponsor the showing of all or part of a film. This will provide advertisements for the sponsors and help eliminate or lower the cost of purchasing rights to show a film.

2. Community Gathering / University Arts Venue

By expanding the stage area, the theater, which has historically only shown movies, can be adapted to host plays, concerts, recitals, presentations, and lectures sponsored by different members of the community. Making the facility readily available to all of McKenzie will help ensure the widest support and most use of the building.

One challenge the Park Theatre faces if it plans to host theatrical productions is space for a dressing room and other related spaces. To preserve the integrity of the building, it will be best to expand the stage area to the northeast into the City-owned alley behind.

Consider the feasibility of showing major live sporting events.

3. Meeting Facility

The Park Theatre has several options when considering conversion to a meeting facility. If the main seating area is to be used for presentations, then the sloped floor can remain in place but if arrangement with tables and chairs are desired, the floor must be leveled but this will interfere with sightlines needed for films. The balcony can be redesigned as can the three offices. Before these plans move forward, consider the community’s current and future need in this regard.

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4. Church Services

A local church might be interested in renting the theater for its services on Sundays. It is common for churches to rent meeting space from facilities that can accommodate their needs and space. Approach churches that rent commercial buildings or similar buildings.

5. Office Space

The three offices above the lobby and under the balcony can be renovated for use by the [Friends Group], city employees, or renters. Keeping this space filled will help energize the downtown area by bringing new people to the central business district. Funds from renters could help offset maintenance and operating costs. The space can also be used for storage.

6. Museum / Interpretive Area

Many of the Park Theatre’s original equipment and architectural features remain. Several people have expressed interest in restoring the 1941 projector for a museum piece. There are many ways to interpret the Park Theatre. One way would be to interpret the entire building in one place, with all items collected together, or place interpretive markers throughout the building. With either option, the segregated areas, the fireproof projection room and equipment, office spaces, architectural arrangement, and 1941 technologies should all be interpreted. Additional ideas include the theater’s role as a gathering place, small town theaters across the state and nation, inclusion in the Crescent Supreme Court Case, and its part in the modernization of Main Streets across the country in the 1930s and early 1940s. The interpretive area(s) should be accessible anytime the theater hosts an event.

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FUNDING SOURCES

As a place of local significance and likely to serve the local community, much of the funding is likely to come from contributions made by local individuals or corporations operating in the region. These stakeholders will likely be your largest source of funding. As such, they should be engaged early in the planning stage and throughout the project’s progress. Also consider that their interests and goals will influence how they contribute funds for planning, rehabilitation, and operational expenses. Donors are more likely to give larger sums if they can make a tax-deductible donation; there must be an established nonprofit to offer this.

Another source of considerable funding is from regional, state, and federal grants. Because the City of McKenzie is a Certified Local Government, this will open the city to additional funds from the Tennessee Historical Commission. There are also foundations and organizations that operate nationally that will potentially provide funding. Much of this funding will be small amounts and for planning.

Because the Park Theatre is not on the National Register of Historic Places, numerous grants are not available for the cost of rehabilitation, operations, and maintenance. If/when a National Register of Historic Places District is completed and approved for the downtown district, this may change if listed as a contributing building. In addition, many grants are dependent on the building being owned by a non-profit while others are dependent on the building’s use.

For grants that are only accessible to municipal governments, the City and the [Friends Group] can form an official partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, “an MOU is a document that defines and formalizes a partnership agreement.”117 See Appendix F on 110 for an example MOU from HUD.

Another funding opportunity is to leverage funds. For example, your nonprofit may not qualify for a certain type of grant but another local organization’s mission statement and goals may. If this is the case, consider forming a partnership that maximizes both organizations’ programing capacity. By providing/donating the space a theater production is hosted in, you are providing a necessary service at little or no cost, you are also increasing the your goal to keep the theater occupied and in regular use. Identify other areas where collaboration and partnerships will benefit several different parties and try to form working partnerships.

117 Homes & Communities, “Partnership Resources,” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/nnw/partnerships/partnershipsresources/nnwpartnershipsresources.cfm (accessed July 28, 2012).

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Fundraising

The Park Theatre holds a special place in the hearts of many local McKenzie and Carroll County citizens. Because the connections made in their youth are ones that will not be easily forgotten, focus fundraising campaigns that tap into those memories.

1. Sell tickets for tours of the theater at different stages of rehabilitation. This will serve to increase the public’s interest, will keep people interested, start conversations about the theater, and provide some funds. It will also provide an opportunity to reach potential friends group members.

2. Sell seats. There are two options here: Give individuals, families, groups, and businesses the opportunity to sponsor the entire cost of the restoration of the theater’s original seats or the entire purchasing cost of new seats. With either option, dedication/name plates should acknowledge their donation. If the [Friends Group] opts for new seats, you could also actually sell the original seats for the cost of modern ones.

3. Write a history of theater in McKenzie. Include as much information about the McKenzie Theatre and Park Theatre as possible. Compile and publish this book after an aggressive awareness-raising campaign that includes weekly columns in the McKenzie Banner. These columns should inform readers of preservation progress but also include the recollections of theatergoers. Publish these submissions in the book alongside old theater advertisements and photographs. Be sure to include a history of the preservation effort in McKenzie. Sell the book individually or give it as a gift to large donors. Look to R. C. Forrester’s 1997 book, Footlights & Flickers: The History of Theatre in Union City, as an example.

4. Typical fundraising ideas like silent auctions, planned estate giving upon death, admission and gift store income are not likely to generate enough of the operating costs but membership fees can contribute significantly.

5. Renting the facility will contribute funds.

6. Sell t-shirts, coffee, mugs, bumper stickers, pens, etc. with phrases like: - I had my first kiss at the Park Theatre! - My first date was at the Park Theatre! - I saw Gone with the Wind at the Park Theatre! - I worked at the Park Theatre! - I remember Mr. Eddie’s flashlight at the Park Theatre! - I got dressed up on Saturdays to see a movie at the Park Theatre! - I remember getting a coke, popcorn, and movie ticket for less than a $1 at the

Park Theatre! - I love the Park Theatre!

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Consider selling sponsorships for the back with varying sizes of logos for different prices; only do this if required. Also consider including a line drawing of the 1941 appearance of the theater. This is the type of thing that could be sold to people who no longer live in McKenzie and Bethel alum. If you do pre-order, there is less likely to be overstock items. Be sure to get contact information (phone, email, mailing address) for everyone who purchases an item and add them to a partner list.

7. After the building is safe, consider selling tickets for a pre-renovation movie. Have moviegoers bring lawn chairs while the [Friends Group] uses a simple screen and projector to show the movie. Make sure you acquire the appropriate permissions to show the film.

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Grants: Federal and State Grants

See Appendix E on page 107 for general information about grants. Below is a list of grants relevant to the Park Theatre.

1. Community Facilities Programs (USDA Rural Development) provide loans, grants, and loan guarantees for water and environmental projects, as well as community facilities projects. Community facilities projects develop essential community facilities for public use in rural areas and include many community-based initiatives. Grants and loans are available to public entities and nonprofit corporations. In addition, applicants must have the legal authority necessary for construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed facility and also be unable to obtain needed funds from commercial sources at reasonable rates and terms.

a. The 2012 application deadline has passed but it was on April 20, 2012. It is possible that the deadline will be similar for 2013.

b. For more information, see http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HCF_CF.html. For additional information and a description of the application process, see http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-03-21/pdf/2012-6611.pdf.

c. Your local USDA contact regarding Rural Development:

Harriet Cannon, Rural Development Manager Union City Service Center – RD PO Box 567 Union City, TN 38281-0567 (731) 885-6480 ext 4 [email protected]

2. National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency

created in 1965 and is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States. The Endowment views wisdom as a requirement for democracy. Wisdom is gained through learning, preserving, and sharing the lessons of history to all Americans. The NEH accomplishes this mission by awarding grants for top-rated proposals examined by panels of independent, external reviewers.

a. NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars. The grants strengthen teaching and learning in schools and colleges, facilitate research and original scholarship, provide opportunities for lifelong learning, preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources, and strengthen the institutional base of the humanities.

b. The NEH website has a search feature that allows potential applicants to look for relevant Endowment grants. Preservation efforts related to the Park Theatre will

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not be eligible for all NEH grants but some are relevant. See http://www.neh.gov/grants for additional information.

c. The National Endowment for the Humanities can be contacted at: 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20506 1-800-NEH-1121 [email protected]

3. Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). Grant dollars are available to communities with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents for the purpose of attracting new or expanding existing companies. Projects must meet one of three national objectives: principally benefit low and/or moderate income people, eliminate or prevent slums and/or blight, and/or address imminent health and/or safety problems. Eligible CDBG "regular round" projects have a quality-of-life objective rather than an economic development objective. Applications may be submitted in one of four categories; the one relevant to the theater is “Community Livability.” Community livability projects include anything that is eligible under the federal legislation and can be for no more than $300,000. These funds can be used for historic preservation initiatives and planning and capacity building.

a. Grant deadline for 2013 is February 22 but this is preceded by a month-long application process. Generally applications are due in February each year.

b. Eligible cities or counties can submit only one application. Therefore, if there are competing needs in the community, the executive and legislative body must determine which need is most important and submit an application for only that project.

c. See the Tennessee website at http://www.tn.gov/ecd/CDBG/index.shtml. d. Your contact regarding the Community Development CDBG Program:

Brooxie Carlton [email protected] (615) 741-8806

4. Tennessee Arts Commission conducts competitive grants each year. The TAC makes the process open to nonprofit organizations chartered in Tennessee that present and produce arts events and activities. In general, all grants must be matched by the recipient 1:1 (one State dollar matched by one private-sector dollar). Applications are reviewed and evaluated by citizen advisory committees and out-of-state adjudicators.

a. Deadlines for projects occurring before June 30, 2013 are 30 days prior to the start of the project. For projects without rolling deadlines occurring July 1, 2013 – Jun 30, 2014, applications are due on varying dates in January 2013. Check the website for specific dates.

b. Access more information at http://www.tn.gov/arts/. c. Your contact regarding TAC grants is:

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Diane Williams Tennessee Arts Commission, Director of Grants Management [email protected] (615) 741-6395

5. Transportation Alternatives (TA), formerly Transportation Enhancement (TE), grants are federally funded reimbursement grants that provide 80% of the funding and must have a 20% local match. On July 6, 2012, legislation passed that altered the definition, goals, and structure of these funds as they related to historic preservation. Because of this, TA funds are in flux and until new administration practices develop, it is unclear how to plan and apply for these funds. Even with these changes, the Tennessee Department of Transportation will administer this federally funded program. When describing TE grants, TDOT Commissioner John Schroer said, “Through Transportation Enhancement grants, TDOT has funded more than $270 million in non-traditional transportation projects” and that “this program has assisted communities all over the state in their efforts to revitalize downtowns, highlight historic areas, provide alternative means of transportation, and increase opportunities for economic development.”

a. A definition of TA grants is provided by the National Transportation Enhancement Clearinghouse. They write “Transportation Alternative (TA) projects are federally-funded community-based projects that expand travel choices and improve the transportation experience by improving the cultural, historic, and environmental aspects of our transportation infrastructure.”118

b. Local governments can apply for TA funds if their project relates to surface transportation and falls under one of the nine allowances that relevant to community improvement activities and historic preservation projects. This allowance is for “historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities.” An emphasis on Though TE funds required the building to be owned by the municipal government, a Memorandum of Understanding may overcome this requirement.

c. Deadlines are unknown at this time. d. For general information and application guidance, see

http://www.enhancements.org/ or for Tennessee specific information, these websites are likely to be of use http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/local/ and http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/local/grants.htm once they are updated to include Transportation Alternatives information. This blog also provides an important

118 Nationl Transporation Enhancements Clearinghouse, “Transporation Alternatives: Program Maulual Development,” (Washington, D.C.: Nationl Transporation Enhancements Clearinghouse, 2012), http://www.enhancements.org/download/Publications/Briefs/Program_Manual_Development.pdf (accessed October 9, 2012).

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perspective to have when/if applying for TA grants: http://localprograms.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/before-you-apply-for-an-enhancement-now-transportation-alternatives-grant/.

6. Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) accepts grant applications for historic preservation projects, especially those that emphasize conducting of architectural, archaeological, and historic site surveys. In addition to historic surveys, assistance is available for other types of historic preservation projects. These may include preservation planning studies for towns, neighborhoods, and historic districts, the preparation of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, planning or pre-development work necessary to undertake restoration of an historic property, and restoration of historic properties (for restoration or restoration pre-planning, properties must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places). Unless appropriations are significantly increased, funds for restoration projects will be limited; however, THC always encourages quality applications of this type. Applications for projects to prepare nominations to the National Register of Historic Places are a priority and are also encouraged. The grants are matching grants and will pay for up to 60% of the costs of approved project work. The remaining 40% must be provided by the grantee as matching funds.

a. The 2012 deadline has passed but was in September. It is likely that future deadlines will fall at a similar time.

b. The THC provides general information, FAQs, and the grant application at http://www.tn.gov/environment/hist/federal/preservation_grants.shtml.

c. Grant related questions should be directed to the following THC staff members: Mr. Steve Rogers, Historic Preservation Supervisor [email protected] 615/532-1550, ext. 110 Mr. Richard Tune [email protected] 615/532-1550, ext. 109

7. Certified Local Governments (CLG) are eligible for specific grants through the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC). The CLG Program has been a major source of support, guidance, technical assistance, and grants for local governments who are committed to protecting their historic and architectural heritage for future generations. The THC is required to allocate at least 10% of the Historic Preservation Fund Grants to the CLGs; thus they receive priority status in grant funding available.

a. CLG grants in Tennessee have funded a number of diverse projects. These include such projects as the development and implementation of preservation plans, design guidelines, surveying of historic properties, bricks and mortar

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construction or building repair projects, preservation education projects, and training for historic zoning commissioners.

b. Deadline is the same as TCH grants. c. For general information see,

www.tn.gov/environment/hist/federal/local_assist.shtml. d. CLG related questions should be directed to the Certified Local Government

Coordinator at THC: Dan Brown [email protected] 615/532-1550 ext. 114

National Nonprofit Grants 1. National Trust for Historic Preservation Funds encourages preservation at the local

level by providing seed money for preservation projects. The majority of NTHP funding is awarded for planning activities and educational efforts focused on engaging new audiences in the preservation movement. Funding generally ranges from $2,500 to $5,000, and all grants must be matched dollar-for-dollar. The selection process is very competitive. To apply, you must be members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation at the Forum or Main Street level.

a. There are three application deadlines annually: are on the first of February, June, and October.

b. For additional information, eligibility requirements, and the application, visit: http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/.

c. The National Trust also has several special sources of funding relevant to your preservation and planning needs. Visit http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/find-funding/deadlines-and-special-programs.html for these grants. Their deadlines are different than general National Trust funding.

d. Direct all of your questions to the National Trust grant staff at [email protected].

2. The Kresge Foundation has seven granting programs that work to improve the quality of life in rural communities. Based on recently awarded grants in the Arts and Culture Program, the Park Theatre may be a worthy applicant. The Foundation seeks to build strong, vibrant communities – enlivened by the presence of healthy cultural organizations and well-resourced artists, and enriched by well-integrated arts, cultural and community-building activities. Grant applications that focus on the integration of arts and culture into comprehensive community revitalization efforts are more likely to be awarded.

a. The 2012 application deadline was on February 1, 2012. It is possible that the deadline will be similar for 2013.

b. Visit http://www.kresge.org/programs/arts-culture for more information.

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RESTORATION GUIDANCE & RECOMMENDATIONS

Currently, the City of McKenzie has plans to restore the Park Theatre to its 1941 appearance. Though no pictures from 1941 or the construction of the theater are extant, early pictures date from c. 1943 to 1949. See Figure 30, Figure 32, and Figure 35 below. The following are observations from close examination of these historic photographs and describe the historical flow pattern of the storefront arrangement, the upper façade, and elements of the interior.

The most important elements to address in a restoration are the overall patterns of the façade and the glass tiling on the lower portion of the storefront that wraps around the side elevation. In addition, the retention of the brick detailing and original 1941 windows on the upper façade are important.

All renovation work should aim to keep as much of the original material as possible. The extant historic material contributes to the building’s historic integrity and should not be removed. Work done to this material should keep it as is and simply clean it.

Note that these recommendations are made without concern for funding and will help return the Park Theatre to its 1941 appearance. Because funding will be limited, the [Friend’s Group]’s planning document should prioritize different aspects of the renovation to focus on. These should be decided based on the [Friends Group]’s short- and long-term goals.

After renovation work is completed, a National Register nomination may be able to pass the SHPO and Tennessee Historical Commission on second review but this is highly dependent on the quality of the renovation work and following the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties; these are available at http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide/.

1. Structural / Carrara Glass

The tiling underneath marquee is pigmented structural glass. This was a common element in Art Deco buildings in the 1930s and 40s. Cararra Glass has been used in theaters across Tennessee, so it is likely that this was the type or brand of structural glass that was used. The upper portion of the storefront may have pigmented structural glass as well, as referenced in a newspaper article, as cream-colored structural glass. Nola Hobbs recalls the second color of structural glass as black. The photos are not clear enough to see that material. See the architectural description on page Error! Bookmark not defined. and images in Appendix A.

Unfortunately, structural glass like this has not been produced in the US for some time. It is possible that some contractors still have supplies of it, but it is more likely that you will have to use a substitute material to replicate the appearance. There is a National Park Service Technical Brief 12 on pigmented structural glass that talks about substitute

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materials, either a plate glass substitute or a spray paint technique to emulate the structural glass. See Appendix G on page 113 for the National Park Service Preservation Brief regarding this topic.

2. Recessed Entrances Across the Façade

The other important element, in terms of the rhythm and patterns of the storefront, is the recessed entrance doors across the façade. Moving northwest to southeast, you have a single door leading to the upstairs offices, a canted corner recessing two separate double-door entrances to the theater lobby, a projecting box office window (octagonal in shape), the African-American single door entrance, and the single door entrance to the corner store. See Appendix A to examine historic photographs and Appendix B for a sketch.

You would want to replicate each of these doorways, particularly the two double entrance doors and the door to the African-American seating in the balcony. In the case of African-American entrance or the corner office entrance, these could be added as "blind doors," or doors that lead to nowhere. Except for the corner office, it appears that each of these doors were recessed slightly as the façade is not flush across the front.

You would want to recreate those projections in a restoration. The box office appears to have had a window within one of these projections, which would be an important identifying feature. See Figure 33.

3. African-American Entrance

As the storefront stands today, the historic African-American entrance has been removed; this was done by c. 1992 but according to photographic evidence, it might have been removed as early as c. 1986. In terms of returning to its historic appearance and architecture, this important feature should be restored. An examination of three photographs, Figure 35 (c. 1949), Figure 34 (c. 1949), and Figure 38 (c. 1962), reveal that this entrance had a door that matched the two double-doors. If this is done, it can aid in interpreting the nation’s and McKenzie’s segregated past.

This entrance was used until 1964 and was located to the right of the box office, leading to seating and bathrooms on the right side of the balcony. The top half of the stairs, the two bathrooms, and the balcony each maintain their historical integrity and should be considered for interpretation.

African-Americans used the same ticket box as white moviegoers but had to order all of their concessions through the woman working the window. Newspaper articles from 1940 and 1941 make it clear that a segregated entrance would separate movie patrons at the time on construction.

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4. Door Placement and Treatment

The location of the two double-doors leading to the lobby historically were not centered under the marquee. It looks like the right set should be located under the “EA” of “THEATRE.” See Appendix B. The interior lobby is off-center as well because of the store that was built on the southeast corner and the segregated entrance. Once the storefront under the marquee is restored, there should be enough going on visually to diminish the off-centered appearance.

These doors were painted Chinese Red at the July 1941 opening and had half circle plates for the handles.

5. Windows

The office windows on the second story are original to the building’s 1941 remodeling and it is important to retain these during renovations. The only windows that may be newer are the two three-light awning windows that flank a central three-light awning window. These have an iridescent shine when photographed while the other five windows do not. It is possible that these two were painted or boarded at one time; photographs ranging from c. 1943 to ca. 2002 do not make it clear.

From the interior, the metal sashes and mechanisms are all original and in fairly good condition. They likely need to be cleaned but should not be replaced.

In the fall of 2011, the windows in the northwest office on the second floor still had decorative cornices that covered the blinds when drawn up. See Figure 25 below.

6. Brick Detailing Above Marque

It is important to retain the original 1941 brick detailing on the upper façade. Aside from paint applied in 2001, this architectural feature retains its historical integrity. It should not be changed.

7. Paint

Historically, it appears that the upper façade was not painted until the last ten years. A c. 1999 - 2002 color picture of the Park Theatre shows an unpainted front and side elevation; this changed in 2001 when the Industrial Board painted the exterior. The unpainted upper façade’s vertical elements relied on shadows and corbels to extenuate the Art Deco architectural features.

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Figure 25. Window cornices visible above both windows, photograph by MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

8. Tile Work Leading into Lobby

Numerous historic pictures depict a light colored, possibly white or off-white, floor with a dark, possible black or red, arches leading into each of the double-doors. These arches extended in opposite directions. See Figure 32, Figure 35, and Figure 36. While the style does not match any exterior architectural details, they do complement large bands of color in the auditorium side elevations and the rounded framing of the stage. See Figure 17.

9. Lobby

Though it is not required that the lobby be renovated to its exact historic appearance, it will be important to make it historically appropriate. The current arrangement is not historically sensitive and detracts from the feel and flow of a 1941 movie theater. Look for appropriate counters, lighting, carpet, wall treatments, and doors. Lobby descriptions from the July 4, 1941 opening can be found in the McKenzie Banner.

10. American Disability Act in Historic Structures

The theater must have some ADA compliance on all floors, especially the first floor. See Appendix D. ADA exceptions are made for these circumstances: (1) compliance will damage the building’s historic character, (2) be eligible for or listed on the National

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Register of Historic Places, (3) and/or be designated as historic by appropriate State or local law. With the National Register eligibility currently in question, it is recommended that the McKenzie Historic Preservation Commission create a “local landmark” program under its ordinance. See Appendix C. This will make the minimum requirements for historic preservation applicable to the Park Theatre but only if making the building ADA accessible will threaten or destroy its historical significance.

Many aspects of the theater’s current layout are likely ADA accessible but they will require confirmation by qualified individuals, particularly the width of doors and restrooms. Accessible exterior and interior routes (on all publicly used spaces), ramps, entrances, and toilets must be compliant or meet the minimum requirements for historic buildings.

Depending on how the second story offices are used, the theater will have to have an elevator to access them. Other theaters have used the African-American entrance to access an elevator from the storefront.

11. Auditorium

The auditorium, though chairs and ceiling have been removed, should retain as much of its historic appearance as possible. The wall material should be salvaged or, where necessary, replaced. When the interior is repainted, it should imitate the original paint job. The six Art Deco wall detailing and light fixtures should be restored and put back into operation.

12. Stage

If the stage is expanded to make room for theatrical productions, retain as much of the original material as possible. Save the stage framing and the front material. If this is impossible, mimic the design upon extension.

In terms of preserving the historic integrity of the building, it will be better to add an addition to the rear wall towards the northeast. Be sure that the scale and massing of the addition do not overwhelm the original building. The City of McKenzie owns the alley behind the theater. It will be better to have an addition on the rear elevation than to absorb seating space original to the 1941 construction. An appropriate and sensitive addition should not hinder the building’s National Register eligibility as part of a district or individual nomination while absorbing historic seating space will. Discuss plans for an addition with the State Historic Preservation Office before work begins.

Also consider placing dressing and make-up rooms underneath the stage in the basement. Historically, the heating unit filled this space. It may be less expensive to put this underneath the building than as part of the possible rear addition.

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13. Interior Door and Railing Treatments

There are many original doors, railings, and hardware extant in the building. These include most, if not all in the second-story office space, the staircase and balcony railings, and double-doors leading to the auditorium. See Figure 26, Figure 16, and Figure 15. Maintain as much of this original material as possible.

Figure 26. Original 1941 hardware in second-story office space. MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

14. Stairs and Floor Treatments

The floor treatments in much of the building are original with the exception of the lobby and the removal or carpet. Though the stairs leading to the second-story offices do not appear to have originally been carpeted, the stairs leading to the balcony from the lobby were. See Figure 27 and Figure 28. All of the aisles were originally carpeted, including those in the balcony. The aisles in the auditorium were described as having been “oriental carpet” at the theater’s opening. See Figure 29.

15. Auditorium Ceiling Tiles

Since the original tiles have been removed, replace these with ones that are compatible with those historically in the auditorium. Attempt to locate photographs of the originals if possible. A July 4, 1941 article from the McKenzie Banner makes several references to the ceiling design but are not clear. The article reads: “Modernistic color designs on the

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walls and ceiling start with light tints and increase in strength to blend into the beautiful proscenium with oval side made to the roof where the inwing approaches.”

With this lack of clarity, it would ideal to use black ceiling tiles that will not absorb light like white ones.

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Figure 27. The stairs leading to the second-story offices do not appear to have originally been carpeted, unlike those leading to the balcony from the lobby. MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

Figure 28. The stairs leading to the balcony were originally carpeted, unlike those leading to the second-story offices. MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

Figure 29. The inlay for the carpeting is visible in the concrete floor extending from the double-doors. The concrete floor is original. MTSU CHP, Fall 2011.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

AND

APPENDICES

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary Sources

Alicoate, Jack, ed. The 1945 Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures. 27th ed. Fort Lee, NJ: The Film Daily, 1945.

Bolton, Linda. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Choate, James. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 5, 2011.

Clericuzio, Gabe. Photograph albums. Private Collection.

Clericuzio, Gabe. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. May 30, 2012.

Hawks, Mark W. Floor Plans, “Building Renovation: The McKenzie Theatre.” Design Consultants, Inc.

Harder, Kenneth. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 5, 2011.

Hobbs, Nola. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Holland, Jill and Jennifer Waldrick. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. September 29, 2011.

Holland, Nancy. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Johnson, Charles Spurgeon, and Lewis Wade Jones. Statistical Atlas of Southern Counties; Listing and Analysis of Socio-Economic Indices of 1104 Southern Counties. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1941.

McDonald, Robert. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

McKenzie Banner, 1940-1941, 2001-2002.

Minutes of the Meeting of the Mayor and City Council, McKenzie, Tennessee, 26 August 1940, McKenzie, Tennessee City Hall.

Sanborn Map Company. “McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: January 1910.” New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1910.

Sanborn Map Company. “McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October 1926.” New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1926.

Sanborn Map Company. “McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee: October 1926” with 1944 Correction. New York: The Sanborn Map Company, 1944.

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Story, Robbie. Personal Interviews. McKenzie, TN. December 1 and 5, 2011.

The Theatre Catalog: 1942. Vol. 3. Philadelphia: Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., 1942.

United States v. Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. (two cases). Crescent Amusement Co. et. al. v. United States. 323 U.S. 173. 1944. http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/323/323.US.173.17.18.19.html (accessed January 11, 2012).

Crescent Amusement Company et al, histories of theaters owned or controlled by Crescent Amusement Company, ca. 1939. William Waller Collection, 1927-1960. Tennessee State Library and Archive, Nashville, Tennessee.

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 77 Page 1. March 21, 1940.

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100 Page 323-326. November 3, 1951.

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 100 Page 326-329. November 5, 1951.

Warranty Deed Filed for Rec. Deed Book 216 Page 208. November 26, 1984.

Washburn, Ramona. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Williams, Joe F. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 5, 2011.

Winston, Rosalinda. Personal Interview. McKenzie, TN. December 1, 2011.

Secondary Sources

Carter, Clella Mae and Julian Devault. McKenzie’s History, 1869-1969: Hub of the Tri-counties Carroll, Henry and Weakley. 1969.

Conant, Michael. Antitrust in the Motion Picture Industry: Economic and Legal Analysis. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960.

Cooper, Gail. Air-Conditioning America: Engineers and the Controlled Environment, 1900-1960. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Cripps, Thomas. Hollywood’s High Noon: Movie making and Society before Television. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1997.

Forsher, James. The Community of Cinema: How Cinema and Spectacle Transformed the American Downtown. Westport, CN: Praeger Publishers, 2003.

Gebhard, David. The National Trust Guide to Art Deco in America. New York: John Wiley and

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Sons, Inc., 1996.

League of Historic American Theatres. Historic Theatre Rescue, Restoration, Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse Manual. Bel Air, MD: League of Historic American Theatres, 2006.

Longstreth, Richard. The Buildings of Main Street: A Guide to American Commercial Architecture, in the Building Watchers Series. Washington, D. C.: Preservation Press, 1987.

Murphy, Kimberley. “Ritz Theatre and Hoskins Rexall Drug Store No. 2” National Register nomination, 1998.

Smith, Vicki. “Varsity Theater” National Register nomination, 2010.

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APPENDICES

Appendix A Chronological Printing of Historic Park Theatre Photographs 76 Appendix B

Original Storefront Arrangement Sketch Appendix C

Local and State Landmarking: Tennessee Historical Commission Marker – Informational Memorandum, Coversheet, and Price List 90

Appendix D

ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Historic Buildings 98 Appendix E

Blog Articles by McDoux Preservation LLC

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Your New NPO: The First Year! Grants, Reimbursements, and Matching Funds 107

Appendix F

Example Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from HUD

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Appendix G NPS Preservation Brief #12:

The Preservation of Historic Pigmented Structural Glass (Vitrolite and Carrara Glass) 113

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Appendix A

Chronological Printing of Historic Park Theatre Photographs

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Figure 30. Park Theatre c. 1943. “Girls in Downtown Park,” McKenzie Banner.

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Figure 31. Park Theatre c. 1943 “Girls on Cannon,” McKenzie Banner.

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Figure 32. Park Theatre c. 1945-1952, popcorn machine. Gabe Clericuzio, Photograph Albums, Private Collection.

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Figure 33. Park Theatre c. 1945-1952, Ticket Window with Mrs. Marjory Clericuzio. Gabe Clericuzio, Photograph Albums, Private Collection.

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Figure 34. Park Theatre c. 1949.

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Figure 35. Park Theatre c. 1949, Full Façade. People unknown but notice the African-American man looking at a movie poster in front of the left lobby door. Gabe Clericuzio, Photograph Albums, Private Collection.

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Figure 36. Park Theatre c. 1949. Roy Johnson and wife. Notice the two youths working the popcorn machine. Gabe Clericuzio, Photograph Albums, Private Collection.

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Figure 37. Park Theatre c. 1960s, view down Cedar Street towards Main Street, McKenzie Banner.

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Figure 38. Park Theatre c. 1962, view from the Downtown Veterans Memorial Park.

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Figure 39. Park Theatre c. 1986. “Homecoming 1986 Parade,” McKenzie Banner.

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Figure 40. Park Theatre c. 1992. Photograph by Dr. Carroll Van West, MTSU CHP.

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Figure 41. Front façade of the Park Theatre, c. 1999-2002. McKenzie Industrial Board, Polaroid Album, Private Collection.

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Appendix B

Original Storefront Arrangement Sketch

This sketch was drawn pulling information from all available historic photographs of the Park Theatre. It is not exact and should not be used for anything except reference. The sketch illustrates the placement of entries, windows, and movie-poster display boxes underneath the marque at the time of the 1941 theater opening. It is not to scale. Consult with a certified architect for an exact drawing.

Access to upstairs offices

Double-doors leading to lobby

Box office

African-American entrance leading to balcony

Window and door of corner store

Movie-poster display boxes

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Appendix C

Local and State Landmarking: Tennessee Historical Commission Marker – Informational Memorandum, Coversheet, and Price List

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TENNESSEE HISTORICAL MARKERS

PRICE LIST

MARKER WITH SAME TEXT ON EACH SIDE $1,475.00 (most frequently ordered marker) IF SPONSOR PAYS HALF THE COST 737.50 MARKER WITH DIFFERENT TEXT ON EACH SIDE $1,575.00 IF SPONSOR PAYS HALF THE COST 787.50 WALL MARKER $1,225.00 IF SPONSOR PAYS HALF THE COST 612.50 The Tennessee Historical Commission generally meets the third Friday of February, June, and September. Marker texts must be submitted to this office by July 31 for the October meeting, November 30 for the February meeting, and March 31 for the June meeting. If you have any questions, please call Linda Wynn at (615) 532-1550, ext. 102. Revised May 13, 2010

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Appendix D

ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Historic Buildings

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Appendix E Blog Articles by McDoux Preservation LLC

“Your New NPO: The First Year!” accessible at http://mcdoux.com/?p=287.

“Grants, Reimbursements, and Matching Funds” accessible at http://mcdoux.com/?p=236.

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Your New NPO: The First Year! On November 28, 2011, in Fundraising, Strategic Planning, by Steph

Congratulations! You just established a new, volunteer-led non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of one or more historic resources. So now that you’ve officially done all of your state paperwork and sent in your application for tax-exempt status to the IRS, what’s next?

Here are some ideas for first-year activities that will start you off on the right foot. Since it’s important to have goals for your organization’s growth and success, in each of the following sections, we’ve suggested a goal that you might set for your first year. It’s not important that you use these goals, specifically – just that you set some. (Don’t be afraid to be ambitious!)

1. Build Awareness

It’s important to establish a broad base of community support, particularly one that you can document through membership. This starts by making people aware of what you’re doing.

Begin by building an initial email-newsletter mailing list:

• Rent booth space at your local community events, and – in addition to providing information and offering fun, engaging activities and merchandise – ask people to sign up for your email newsletter.

• Ask all of your board members to provide a list of their friends and contacts. Don’t be shy —seriously, if your board is not willing to send a letter to their friends asking them to consider becoming a member, then you have a real problem. People can always opt out of an email subscription to your newsletter.

• In every communication you send out (digital or printed), be sure to include a request for the reader to become a member, along with a link to your website’s membership page and/or a membership form.

GOAL! See how many people you can sign up for your newsletter in the first three or four months, then try to double that number in the next eight or nine months.

Once you have established your mailing list and communicated with people a few times …

2. Hold a Membership Drive

In your first year or two, this could substitute for an annual appeal or annual fund drive.

I would send this letter out over the board president’s signature. Be sure to include:

• A personal statement from the Board President about their interest in and passion for preserving the resource(s)

• The organization’s mission statement (what you are trying to accomplish, generally) • The plan for what you’re trying to accomplish in the next year

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• How membership fees will be used to advance the organization’s mission • A statement that the donation will be tax deductible or, if you’ve applied for 501(c)(3)

but haven’t received a response, a note to that effect, explaining that you expect to have the tax-exempt status determination letter from the IRS in hand soon, and will be able to provide a tax-deductible donation then.

If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to decide what “benefits” to offer your members. This does not have to include giveaway items like tote bags or coffee mugs. In fact, the more creative your member benefits are, the better! Experiences, rather than products, can make excellent member benefits and may be accomplished at little or no cost, as well. Examples include member-only events, such as a hard-hat tour of the building in its current condition (after they sign a waiver of liability); a commemorative tchotchke, the cost of which is sponsored by a local business; or a cocktail party or other celebration when you achieve an important milestone, for which the food/drink/etc. has been donated by a local business or sponsored by a donor.

GOAL! Two possible goals for your membership drive include (a) to convert more of your existing email newsletter recipients to members, and (b) to increase your membership numbers overall.

It’s important to set your goals in writing, think through how you will measure your success, implement your plans accordingly, and debrief afterward to explore what went well and what could be improved in the future.

3. Programming

Even as a young organization, you should have some sort of regular programming that helps to build awareness for the historic resources that you want to preserve. Having a schedule of regular programming also gives your organization more credibility and legitimacy. It’s not too early to begin!

Here’s an example of an easy, inexpensive program for your first year. It should not be too difficult or time-consuming to schedule four or six lectures a year about topics that are relevant to the historic resource. If you have four core board members, each of you could take one quarter of the year and be in charge of one of these lectures — finding a speaker, scheduling a space, publicizing it to members and the public, etc. (Be sure to work together as a group to coordinate the topics.) You should start planning this early so you can publicize them — and also give your speakers lots of notice. (I’d find and ask all of them immediately! Then follow up to make sure they remember about it, two months before the event — two weeks before — and then two days before. You can’t be too careful. People are busy.)

Topics might include:

• History of the family or people most closely associated with the historic resource(s) • History of the property and its place in your state’s architecture. If the property is

designated as a local or state landmark, or listed on the National Register, ask your speaker to talk about what the relevant designations mean.

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• Something interesting about preservation, such as a presentation by someone who can talk about how a similar property was successfully preserved, adapted for reuse, incorporated into a new development, etc. It’s helpful to show people that there’s a precedent for doing what you’re trying to do, and making it work, so I’d look for someone who could speak to that process and what it took to get it done.

• If you are working with architects to do an Historic Structures Report, Master Plan, etc., you could build their presentation into this programming series.

Recruit volunteers to provide refreshments, ask a local donor or business to sponsor newspaper ads for the events (after you find out how much those ads would cost), and be sure to have membership forms for everyone who attends – don’t by shy, ask everyone to join!

Each event should include a sign-in sheet with a volunteer there to make sure people sign in and provide their contact information, if they’d like to receive your monthly newsletter. The program could start with an introduction by the board member who’s in charge of it, talking about the organization and its mission, and introducing the speaker. At the end, the same person could manage a short Q&A and then ask everyone to become a member.

GOAL! Hold one programming event or activity each quarter.

If you can just manage to accomplish that much programming in your first year, fantastic! Remember: don’t be too ambitious about what you can accomplish with a small volunteer board. Under-promise and over-deliver.

4. Publicity

It’s important to do two things in terms of publicity: a) Communicate regularly, and b) Be prepared for big opportunities.

The first part is easy: You need a newsletter that goes out at least quarterly and preferably monthly, so that your organization is in front of people all the time. You do not need to have a ton of news in it, nor does this need to be fancy or expensive. I suggest using something like Constant Contact so that people can sign up online but also manage their own subscriptions through SafeUnsubscribe technology. You can also format the same content as a PDF and print it for those people who prefer a paper copy.

Try to create a committee of three or four volunteers who are good at this sort of thing and who could just be in charge of the newsletter. If you don’t have anybody in mind, go out and recruit them! Ask everyone who is already a volunteer if they know a friend who has those skills and could volunteer a few hours a month to get that done. In many cases, people will volunteer for something that’s straightforward like that, if they know the time commitment isn’t going to escalate.

Second, you need to get someone with professional public relations experience to help you prepare for big milestones. You probably know what big events are likely to happen, at some point:

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• The organization receives an award • The organization receives a large gift or grant • The organization holds a successful event • The organization accomplishes a major goal

You may be able to find a volunteer from your local chapter of Public Relations Society of America who can help you develop press releases for things like this ahead of time, at their leisure, and also advise you on how best to position your organization to capitalize on media opportunities, with a media kit, interview-able people (who are well prepared!), and a strategy for using the announcement to build your membership base and position you for fundraising success.

GOAL! Establish a regular schedule of communications, including with your local media, and make a friend who is a PR professional.

5. Fundraising

Everyone asks me, “How do we get big grants?” I think the best strategy is to first establish that broad base of support (in this case, financial support) from the community, then apply for a few small grants. Demonstrate your ability to complete projects successfully, then ask for more money.

Let’s begin by talking about “community support.” Your membership fees provide a good start, and you can make another appeal for contributions in your newsletter and on your website. Be sure to explain how much money is needed, how it will be used, and what part of it you are hoping to raise from members.

Next, your Board must contribute over and above their membership fees. Many foundations ask specifically how many Board members donate and the amount of total annual Board Giving – because if your own Board isn’t committed enough to give or raise funds for your cause, why should the foundation give? Consider setting a modest but impactful goal for a Board Challenge. For example, you might ask the Board to contribute or bring in 25% of a total project or program budget.

Employer matching gifts can make a big difference, so don’t forget to remind your potential donors about those!

You should also go to local businesses and organizations and make a personal appeal for help. You might make a list of local businesses and divide that up between board members. Go to the business/organization, meet with the owner or manager, and be prepared to leave behind information about the project (a one-page project description with membership/donation form and return envelope).

Once you have funds coming in from your board/members/local businesses, make relatively small grant requests — mentioning, of course, that your community has already donated X% of the cost. Be sure that you are capable of doing what you propose to do, if you get the grant, and

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don’t create programming or projects just because money is available. Focus on delivering your mission!

After the successful completion of a fundraising campaign, consider taking out an ad in your local newspaper to thank everyone for their donation and list your business donors by name, if that’s all right with them. This demonstrates that your organization is successful and enjoys strong support.

GOAL! You should always have a fundraising goal, whether it’s to raise the money you need for a special project or for some percentage of your annual operating needs. As with membership, evaluate and debrief afterward so that you will know how to improve in the future.

If you can accomplish these five things in your first year, you will be off to a great start! Just remember to “plan your work and work your plan.”

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Grants, Reimbursements, and Matching Funds On March 18, 2011, in Fundraising, by Steph

A brief explanation of the (sometimes confusing) difference between challenge grants, matching grants, and reimbursement grants.

Congratulations! You’re applying for a grant, or you were just awarded one. So when will you receive the money, and what are you required to do before you get it? The answer to that question will depend on what type of grant it is.

Some funders simply write a check. Others require or challenge you to raise matching funds. In some cases, you must spend the money first, before you can receive the grant as reimbursement. In this post, we’ll discuss all three of these scenarios.

Be sure that you understand the structure and requirements of each grant before you apply, and incorporate those requirements into your fundraising strategy and project budget.

Simple Grants

The easiest type of grant to receive is one that comes with no requirements. You apply, your application is approved, and the foundation or agency sends you a check.

You will still have reporting requirements – established by the foundation or by common courtesy. In my next post, I’ll discuss grant contracts and managing and reporting on grants.

Challenge Grants

Depending on the size and length of your fundraising campaign, you might consider being open to a challenge grant. This means that the grantor would promise to give you a gift if you can raise some additional amount of money. If you’ve ever listened to an NPR radio station’s pledge drive, this is a tactic that they use often. The benefit – to the grantor, to you the recipient, and to other donors – is that every dollar raised is leveraged to bring in more money. In addition, a challenge grant can be motivating for many donors who want to help you reach that goal.

Challenge grants can come in different forms. Here are just a few examples:

• If you raise $10,000, the grantor will match that dollar-for-dollar with a $10,000 gift. • If you raise 80% of your goal, the grantor will give you the other 20%. • The grantor will match every dollar you raise, up to $2,500.

If you are open to challenge grants, be sure to mention that in your cover letter or grant application. You might also ask several loyal donors to pool their gifts as a challenge grant.

Matching Grants

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The term “matching grant” means that you are required to raise some amount of money to “match” the amount of the grant. The money you raise in addition to the grant is called “the match.”

Matching grants are similar to challenge grants, with the exception that the timing for your raising the match may vary. For example, a matching grant might require you to have the match in hand before you apply, or within some period of time after you receive the grant. Alternatively, a matching-grant donor might only require that you show proof of the match in your final grant report.

You can use two matching grants to match each other. For example, one of my clients received a $30,000 grant from the Texas Preservation Trust Fund and $25,000 grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council, both of which required a $1-to-$1 match. The TPTF grant provided the full match for the H-GAC grant. In order to satisfy the TPTF match, we then only had to raise another $5,000.

Reimbursement Grants

Reimbursement grants require you to spend some or all of the grant amount before requesting payment. Generally, you have to submit copies of invoices and cancelled checks, and sometimes photographs of the completed work, with your request for reimbursement. This enables the grantor to be sure that you have done what you said you were going to do.

Since the terms of reimbursement grants vary widely, I find that it helps to make a plan and schedule for how and when we can apply for reimbursement, including the documentation required.

You might also be able to work with your vendors to move the reimbursement process along. For example, I have a client who had to raise $8,000 to pay for a Master Plan for their building restoration project. We received a $4,000 matching grant from the National Trust and a $1,700 reimbursement grant from the County Historical Commission. The National Trust doesn’t require you to have the match in hand right away, so we received that money immediately. By working with the architect to invoice us for $1,700 after the completion of an early milestone in the planning process, we can then submit our request for reimbursement to the CHC while the rest of the project is ongoing. That enables the client to have all of the grant funds in hand by the time the process is complete and they receive the architect’s final invoice.

Final Thoughts

1. Don’t be surprised if you come across a reimbursement grant that also requires a match! This is a fairly common combination

2. For all grants, record keeping is very important! You must keep copies of all invoices, cancelled checks, etc. in order to apply for reimbursement. You should also take pictures of the work being done, including before, during, and after the project is complete. If the project involves events, be sure to capture photographs of the different components of the event – not just a generic picture of a bunch of people in a room.

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3. Whenever you apply for a grant, whether you get it or not, send a thank-you letter after notification to let the foundation or agency know how much you appreciate the opportunity to apply. You would be shocked by how often people fail to say “thank you” – even when they receive a grant! With that said, most foundations do not want gifts or recognition plaques. A heartfelt letter from the Board president (and Executive Director, if you have one) is more meaningful.

Next time: Grant contracts, management, and reporting!

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Appendix F

Example Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from HUD

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Appendix G

NPS Preservation Brief #12: The Preservation of Historic Pigmented Structural Glass (Vitrolite and Carrara Glass)

Brief #12 online at: http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/brief12.htm.

12

The Preservation of Historic Pigmented Structural Glass (Vitrolite and Carrara Glass)

»Early Manufacture and Use »Historic Material and Installation Specifications »Reasons for Damage »Maintenance and Repair »Replacement of Damaged/Missing Glass Panels »Substitute Material for Damaged/Missing Glass Panels »Conclusion »Additional Reading

A NOTE TO OUR USERS: The web versions of the Preservation Briefs differ somewhat from the printed versions. Many illustrations are new, captions are simplified, illustrations are typically in color rather than black and white, and some complex charts have been omitted.

The dramatic growth and popularization of the early 20th century Art Deco, Streamline, and Moderne architectural styles were fueled, in part, by technological advances in the building materials industry. New products, such as stainless steel and plastics, enlarged the realm of architectural design. The more traditional materials, on the other hand, quickly developed fresh, innovative forms and uses. For example, the architectural glass industry became especially creative, introducing a series of new glass products known as structural glass. Used predominately for wall surfacing, these now familiar products included glass building blocks, reinforced plate glass, and pigmented structural glass. Pigmented structural glass, popularly known under such trade names as Carrara Glass, Sani Onyx (or Rox), and Vitrolite, revolutionized the business and rapidly became a favorite building material of the period's architects and designers.

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The versatility of pigmented structural glass contributed to its popularity. Not only could the material be applied to both the exterior and interior, the glass could be sculptured, cut, laminated, curved, colored, textured, and illuminated. Often applied directly over existing architecture to remodel older buildings, as well as in new construction, a veneer of pigmented structural glass had the ability to define a building's architectural character as new and up-to-date. Pigmented structural glass also complemented the period's silvery metal accents and affinity for slick, shiny surfaces. A successful application of a structural glass veneer often resulted in a streamlined look characteristic of the Art Moderne architectural style.

As tastes changed and production costs rose, however, pigmented structural glass fell into

disfavor and disuse by mid-20th century. With today's rekindled interest in the Art Deco, Art Moderne, and Streamline styles, the preservation and replacement of pigmented structural glass have now become an integral part of many rehabilitation projects, particularly in relation to commercial storefronts. This brief, then, was developed in order to address some of the major deterioration problems associated with pigmented structural glass and to recommend methods for maintaining, repairing, and, if necessary, replacing damaged or missing pieces of pigmented structural glass.

Early Manufacture and Use of Pigmented Structural Glass

Although pigmented structural glass enjoyed widespread popularity from the beginning of the Great Depression to the outbreak of World War II, its origins can be traced to the turn of the century. In 1900, the Marietta Manufacturing Company claimed to be the first producer of pigmented structural glass, rolling the first sheet of a "substitute for marble," Sani Onyx. Penn-American Plate Glass Company quickly joined its ranks, manufacturing white and black Carrara Glass around 1906. Penn- American Plate Glass no doubt selected the name "Carrara" for the white glass's close resemblance to the white marble of the Carrara quarries of Italy. Shortly thereafter, Libby-Owens-Ford Glass began production of their own version called Vitrolite.

Initially, Sani Onyx was produced for such utilitarian purposes as refrigerator linings. Manufacturers perceived the glass as a practical, easily cleaned, and sanitary product. Its uses, however, expanded rapidly. By the second decade of the 20th century, consumers viewed pigmented structural glass as an inexpensive substitute for marble counter tops, table tops, wainscoting, and restroom partitions. The first large-scale interior architectural

The Club Moderne, Anaconda, Montana, reflects the exceptional historic detailing associated with pigmented structural glass--polished-mirror finish, rounded corners, and horizontal polychorme bands. Photo: Jet Lowe, HAER collection, NPS.

The Russell Stover Candies, Nashville, Tennessee, shows the company's historic use of deep, mirrored violet pigmented structural glass storefronts. Photo: Douglas A. Yorke, AIA.

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application of pigmented structural glass was in the Woolworth Building (1912-1913) when Architect Cass Gilbert sheathed the restrooms with Carrara Glass. Later in the decade, the decorative possibilities of the glass received even more attention.

As the century progressed, architects began to substitute pigmented structural glass for traditional building materials in new construction. Large expanses of architectural detailing such as sleek door surrounds, polished interior lobbies, and striking commercial storefronts became expected and familiar features within new, expanding downtown business districts in the 1920s and 1930s.

In addition, designers quickly found pigmented structural glass to be an increasingly popular modernizing material for older and out-of-date buildings. As a result, storefronts became a favorite subject for "modernization." New Deal programs, including low-rate insured Federal Housing Administration loans in combination with a "Modernize Main Street" competition sponsored by the Architectural Record and Libby-Owens-Ford Glass, stimulated the remodeling fervor. By 1940, pigmented structural glass veneers had become synonymous with the "modern look." The numerous pigmented structural glass storefronts

surviving today are testimony to the popularity of these remodelings.

The winners of the 1935 "Modernize Main Street" competition illustrated what many considered good contemporary design. The judges of the competition, including Albert Kahn, William Lescaze, and John Root, awarded architects who incorporated "simplicity," "economy," "unbroken horizontal lines," "expressed function," and "pure colors contrasting light and shadow" in their designs. Simplicity of design often translated into curvilinear recessed entries which protected consumers from inclement weather--eliminating cumbersome canvas or metal awnings--and providing additional display window space.

The first and second stories of many 19th century storefronts had disappeared by 1940, hidden behind simple, yet striking, modern pigmented structural glass veneers.

Although the glass was originally produced only in white, the range of colors from which architects could choose soon included black, beige, and ivory. By the 1930s, more exotic colors such as tropic green, forest green, robin blue, suntan, and jade were offered by the principal manufacturers in addition to the stock colors of gray, yellow, and tan. Agate or marbleized treatments in fanciful imitation of the "real" materials were also available. The back surface was occasionally silvered to give a rich mirror finish. Most of these colors and finishes were available in standard thicknesses from 1-1/32 inch to 1-1/4 inches. The glass's smooth exterior was obtained either by fire polishing during the normal glass fabrication process or by mechanical polishing when a high mirror finish was desired. In both cases, the smooth, slick, reflective surface made the material intensely popular with architects or designers who sought the "modern look."

Although focusing on exterior applications, architects also utilized pigmented structural glass for interior spaces, replacing the porous and more expensive marble and offering a highly polished, uniform visual appearance in keeping with design trends of the 1920s and

The extensive use of rich, black Vitrolite in this design impressed the judges of the 1935 "Modernize Main Street" competition and the architects were awarded first prize. Photo: Courtesy, The Architectural Record.

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1930s. Other uses of the material included small, high-style installations in hotels, office lobbies, bars, and lounges.

Historic Material and Installation Specifications

Early 20th century advertisers often promoted pigmented structural glass as a new panacea of the building materials industry. Their claims were not without substance. Unlike masonry units such as terra cotta, pigmented structural glass would not warp, swell, or craze. Nor was the glass highly susceptible to staining, fading, or burning. Like most glass products, it was impervious to moisture and could be easily maintained and usually cleaned with a damp cloth. Adaptable to a wide range of uses, the glass could be colored and textured to attain brilliant visual qualities. Perhaps most important, when compared to marble, the glass was easier to handle, less expensive to use, and simpler to install. The key to proper preservation and repair of both interior and exterior pigmented structural glass is a thorough understanding of the original material specifications and detailed installation techniques. Fortunately, these specifications and techniques remain virtually unchanged from their first early 20th century application. In the installation process, hot asphaltic mastic was applied to the ribbed or textured back of each glass panel. The panel was then pressed against a masonry wall and supported by metal shelf angles which were usually bolted to the masonry substrate on 3-foot centers. The joints between the panels were filled with cork tape or joint cement. The end result was a modular veneer of clean, uniform glass panels.

Exterior Installation

Essentially, the glass veneer was applied to a dry, smooth, and solid masonry or plaster-on-masonry substrate using an asphaltic masonry adhesive. Manufacturers recommended against affixing the glass directly to wood, either lath or paneling. Glass thicknesses of 1-1/32 inch or 7/16 inch were most common for commercial storefronts.

Shelf angles--18-gauge brass or stainless steel, 3 inch square with a 1/2 inch leg fastened directly to the masonry substrate--were used to provide additional support. Inserted along the bottom edge of the panels, they supported every second course of glass and were thus spaced not more than 3 feet apart. Horizontally, the angles were spaced approximately one every 18 inches with at least two used for any piece.

Actual installation involved applying daubs (2 inches to 3 inches in diameter) of hot asphalt-based mastic adhesive to the glass and then attaching the glass directly to the substrate. Manufacturers of the mastic recommended coverage of about 50 percent of the glass panels. A full 3 inch width of mastic coverage was recommended around detail edges or any holes in the panels. The mastic was applied in a molten state after being melted in an electric "hot cup." (Hot cups are still

manufactured for this specific purpose and are made to hold enough mastic for a single

Basic exterior construction details. Photo: Courtesy, Bulletin for the Association for Preservation Technology, 13 (1981).

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daub.)

The next step in the installation procedure was to push the glass panel onto the masonry substrate. Every horizontal seam and abutment was separated by a 1/16 inch thick adhesive cork tape recessed from the front surface by 1/8 inch. Vertical edges were kept apart at a uniform 1/32 inch. In either case, the joint opening was then buttered with a joint cement which was colored to match the surrounding glass.

Proper detailing at the edges of the veneer could prolong the life of the pigmented structural glass. For example, to prevent possible chipping and cracking of the glass where it met the sidewalk, a cushion of neoprene or leather was provided and the exposed surface then caulked. The side edges of the glass were detailed in a variety of methods or the glass simply terminated at the desired location with the ends ground smooth. In either case, the edge was secured to the substrate with a mastic and the joints or void filled with joint cement or caulking compound. Where the edge of the glass abutted another material, such as the brickwork of a neighboring storefront, the glass was held back 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch from the adjacent material. The gap was usually filled with pliable caulk to permit expansion and to prevent moisture migration.

Interior Installation

Construction methods and materials were quite similar for interior and exterior uses of pigmented structural glass. Most interior veneers were the same thickness and approximate dimension of those used for exteriors. Minor differences did, however, exist. For example, joints between the pieces of glass could be reduced to little more than hairline cracks for interior applications due to the limited thermal expansion of the substrate. On the other hand, the use of glass as an indoor ceiling material created unusual installation requirements.

Ceiling slabs 11/32 inch in thickness were attached to 1 inch x 4 inch wood furring strips with mastic (a full 4 inch width coverage was recommended around the edge of the panels). Brass wood screws and small rosettes, protected with felt exterior covers, provided additional support.

As a non-veneer material, pigmented structural glass was generally used for counter and table tops and restroom partitions. Counter tops presented little or no unusual installation problems. Partitions, however, often involved formidable installation challenges; for example, enormous glass panels, weighing up to 16.25 pounds per square foot and measuring 1 inch to 1-1/4 inches in thickness were used. The desired thickness was obtained by cementing two 7/16 inch slabs together with mastic. To accommodate this heavy, yet fragile, load, a reinforced support and connection system was developed which utilized metal sleeves, iron anchors, and steel straps bolted directly into the glass panels.

White pigmented structural glass was used in this remodeling of the U.S. Custom House, Denver, Colorado. Photo: Gregory D. Kendrick.

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Reasons for Damage

Although deterioration of pigmented structural glass itself is rare, or unheard of, failure of the mechanical support system which bonds the glass modules to the wall is almost always the cause of failure, cracking, slipping, or loss. Therefore, damage is usually attributable to one or a combination of the following:

• Deterioration of the Joint Cement • Hardening and Failure of the Mastic Adhesive • Impact Due to Accident/Vandalism

Deterioration of the Joint Cement

Historically, the cement joint between glass panels was intended to provide an integrated, watertight surface. Unfortunately, the traditional joint cement did not possess a long lifespan. Cracked or open joints have been the consequence, usually resulting from improper original application of the cement or from the normal thermal expansion and contraction cycle associated with weathering. Cracked or open cement joints then accelerated deterioration of the masonry substrate and/or the mastic adhesive bond by allowing water to penetrate the internal system. Water entering the system weakened the bond between the mastic and the masonry substrate or rusted the anchoring shelves. This caused the individual glass panels to gradually slip away from their original positions and fall.

Owners of the Hadley Dean Glass Company Warehouse, St. Louis, preserved the unusual polychrome pigmented structural glass interior lobby. Photo: Paul Marshall.

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Hardening and Failure of Mastic

Failure due to long-term hardening of the original mastic adhesive has accounted for a substantial loss of pigmented structural glass panels. The petroleum-based mastics normally possessed a 30 to 40 year lifespan. Once flexibility of the adhesive is lost, the glass panels become vulnerable to slippage and eventual destruction.

Impact Due to Accident/Vandalism

Glass breakage through impact is virtually impossible to prevent. The material is, by its nature, vulnerable to loss through vandalism or accident.

Maintenance and Repair of Pigmented Structural Glass

The maintenance of a dry masonry substrate, mastic, and metal anchors is essential to the longevity of a pigmented structural glass veneer. Thus, repointing cracked or open joints--particularly at ground level where glass abuts concrete--and caulking of slightly cracked glass panels is an ongoing concern. Where drainage to conduct water away from the wall is faulty or insufficient, the problem should be immediately corrected. For example, roof flashing, downspouts, and gutters should be repaired or new systems installed.

Repair of Cement Joints

Cracked or open cement joints, particularly in exterior applications, can present a serious preservation problem because they permit water to penetrate the internal system of a pigmented structural glass veneer. Rusting metal anchors or deteriorating mastic adhesive may be the result. Although the traditional joint cements are easily colored and may be neatly applied, they are no longer recommended for the repair of pigmented structural glass because their longevity is limited. Present-day silicone compounds, on the other hand, offer flexibility, relative impermeability to moisture, ease of installation, and a long lifespan. The proper color match can be obtained by mixing the compound with tinted polyester resins.

Patching Glass Cracks

Any glass panel that can be repaired should not be replaced. Thus, the decision to repair or replace damaged historic pigmented structural glass panels always needs to be made on a case-by-case basis. In many instances, the damage may be so minor or the likelihood of finding suitable replacement glass panels so small that repairing, reanchoring, and/or stabilizing the damaged glass is the only prudent choice.

A slightly chipped or cracked pigmented structural glass panel left unrepaired will inevitably become a source of water infiltration. Careful patching of those cracks with an appropriately colored, flexible caulk will deter moisture penetration while still allowing

The pigmented structural glass panel has separated and fallen, exposing the substrate and hardened, brittle daubs of mastic. Photo: Douglas A. Yorke, AIA.

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expansion and contraction with temperature fluctuations. Although patching is by no means a permanent solution, it will help to protect the material from further damage due to the effects of weather.

Removal of Pigmented Structural Glass Panels

Removal of existing glass panels from a wall in order to re-apply mastic adhesive that is failing or to replace broken panels (see also paragraphs on "Replacement of Damaged/Missing Glass Panels") is an exacting operation because the mastic used to attach the glass panels to the wall may have become hard and extremely difficult to separate from the ribbed backing of the glass. Fortunately, commercial solvents may be purchased which are capable of softening the hardened mastic, such as methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and acetone. These solvents may be introduced into the cavity behind the glass with a crook-necked polyethylene laboratory squeeze bottle or a large syringe without a needle. (Solvents should be stored in fire-safe metal containers until used and should also be handled with extreme care so that they do not come into contact with the skin.) Such methods make it easy to direct the solvent into the narrow separation between the glass panel and the wall with a minimum of waste and effort. After the mastic has softened, two people using a taut piano wire sawing down from the top can safely and efficiently separate the glass from the wall.

If time is a concern, a fast, simple removal method is to carefully pry the panels off with a broad flat tool such as a nail puller. A small piece of wood placed between the flat tool and glass will minimize splintering of the edges. Stubborn pieces can be removed by squirting the mastic with a solvent (as described above), then letting it set several minutes. This procedure softens the mastic, making it more pliable. The piano wire/sawing method may be useful in removing the topmost glass panels of a continuous face where no edges occur. The wire can be effectively worked into the joints and will cut through the mastic. With care, a high percentage of the glass panels can be salvaged using this method.

Another method of removing glass panels that has proven to be effective if the solvent-and-wire method cannot be used, involves directing steam at the face of the panel in order to soften the mastic. Although this method can be time-consuming, averaging up to 10 minutes per panel, the glass can be successfully removed. Remaining mastic may then be removed by directing additional steam on the panel, soaking the panels in hot water to further soften the mastic--or applying appropriate chemical solvents--and scraping off the softened mastic.

A worker carefully removes a large glass panel by placing a small piece of wood between a flat prying bar and the glass, then exerting steady pressure. The majority of panels were removed without damage using this procedure. Photo: Thomas Keohan.

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Reinstallation of Glass Panels

Due to an accumulation of soot behind the glass, the surface of the masonry substrate usually needs to be cleaned before panels or a wall of pigmented structural glass are reinstalled. After removal of the glass panels has been completed, the substrate should be cleaned using a mild detergent and water, then allowing sufficient time for it to dry. The old glass must also be thoroughly cleaned of soot, grease, or old mastic that would impair bonding of the new adhesive. A mild solution of water and household ammonia will generally clean the surface adequately. The glass may then be reinstalled following a system established during removal.

In reinstalling the glass panels (or new panels to replace any historic glass that has been broken), it is recommended that the mastic adhesive used throughout the 1930s and 1940s be used, because it is still the best bonding material. Although modern silicone compounds offer workability, adhesion, and flexibility, they tend to be expensive when used in the necessary quantity. On the other hand, butyl adhesives do not provide sufficient adhesion on nonporous materials such as pigmented structural glass. Polysulfide-based, synthetic rubber sealants do not have the short set-up time of the traditional hot-melt asphalt mastic and thus present installation difficulties. Finally, epoxies do not appear to have the plasticity essential for longevity of a glass veneer.

Replacement of Damaged/Missing Glass Panels

Production of pigmented structural glass in the United States ceased several years ago, and only in rare cases have inventories been discovered. Yet, checking all the obvious and not so obvious sources for replacement may prove to be rewarding. Occasionally, long established "jobbers" will have a limited supply of pigmented structural glass. It is not uncommon for glass contractors to buy entire stocks of glass when companies or supply houses go out of business and to use this original material to make repairs on historic buildings.

Locating a source for new glass similar to the historic pigmented structural glass is as much of a problem as finding the original glass. Until about 10 years ago, glass companies near Bavaria in Western Germany were producing a pigmented structural glass called "Detopak." At present, these factories appear to be the only suppliers in the world. The glass is made in small batches, and the color can vary due to the lack of modern mechanization in the pigmenting process. For this reason, American importers generally only deal in white and black glass.

Owners of this small barber shop, Denver, Colorado, have successfully preserved the historic character of their pigmented structural glass storefront by patching the cracked panels with a dark caulking compound. Photo: Gregory D. Kendrick.

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If a satisfactory replacement panel cannot be located, one alternative is to remove a piece of glass from an inconspicuous part of the building and position it on the more prominent facade. Modern spandrel glass, a new substitute material described below, may be considered as a replacement for the less visible area.

Substitute Material for Damaged/Missing Glass Panels

If replacement glass cannot be found to replace broken or missing panels, a compatible substitute material may be considered if it conveys the same visual appearance as the historic material, i.e., color, size, and reflectivity. Two of the historic producers of pigmented structural glass now manufacture a similar product known generically as "spandrel glass" and marketed under the trade names of Spandrelite and Vitrolux. This heavy plate glass has a ceramic frit or colored ceramic surface fired to the back of the glass. Stock colors are available in a range of grays, browns, bronzes, and black. Custom colors are also available.

A second option simulates the appearance of pigmented structural glass by spraying paint, carefully tinted to match the historic glass, onto the back of plate glass. However, the paint may fade over a long period of time and thus require periodic reapplication.

Sheet plastics may also be used and are available in a range of colors, sizes, and thicknesses. These materials are more suitable for interior applications, however, where the negative effects of ultra-violet light are lessened.

Conclusion

The preservation of pigmented structural glass remains more a materials issue than a detailing problem. The glass panels were and are extremely susceptible to breakage due to accident or vandalism. In addition, many of the historic installation materials such as the mastic adhesive and joint cement did not possess a long lifespan. Periodic maintenance, inspection, careful repair, and selective replacement--in like kind--are essential for the longevity of any historic pigmented structural glass veneer.

Even though the architectural glass industry has continued to expand its production of different types of glazing, the imaginative innovations of Carrara Glass, Sani Onyx, and Vitrolite in the early part of this century have not been surpassed. New technology, combined with human artistry, produced exteriors and interiors alive with color and dimension. Glittering movie palaces, sparkling restaurants, and streamlined storefronts as well as the more mundane kitchens, restrooms, and laboratories exemplified the extensive variety and potential of pigmented structural glass. Carrara Glass, Sani Onyx, and Vitrolite were integrally linked to the architecture and interior design of the 1930s and 1940s and helped to define what was "modern." Thus, every effort should be made to preserve this significant historic material in both the innovative buildings of the Art Deco, Streamline, and Moderne styles as well as the "modernization" of earlier structures.

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Additional Reading

Gay, Charles Merick and Parker, Harry. Materials and Methods of Architectural Construction. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1931.

Glass, Paints, Varnishes and Brushes: Their History, Manufacture and Use. New York: Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, 1923.

Hornbostel, Caleb. Construction Materials. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1978.

Kidder, Frank E. and Parker, Harry. The Architect's and Builder's Handbook, 15th ed., New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc., 1913.

McGrath, Raymond and Frost, A.C. Glass in Architecture and Decoration. London: The Architectural Press, 1937.

"Modernize Main Street." Architectural Record 78 (October 1935): 209-266.

Ramsey, Charles George and Sleeper, Harold Reeves. Architectural Graphic Standards. 3rd ed., New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1941.

Richey, H. G. Richey's Reference Handbook for Builders, Architects and Construction Engineers. New York: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation, 1951.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings (Revised 1983). Washington, D.C.: Technical Preservation Services Division, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Standard Building Code. Birmingham, Alabama: Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc., 1979.

Sweet's Architectural Catalogue, 22nd annual ed., New York: F.W. Dodge Corporation, Sweet's Catalogue Service, 1927--1928; Section B, pp. 1406 1409, (Vitrolite product literature).

Sweet's Indexed Catalogue of Building Construction. New York: Architectural Record Company, 1906.

Time Saver Standards, 1st ed., New York: Architectural Record, 1946.

Yorke, Douglas A. Jr., AIA. "Materials Conservation for the Twentieth Century: The Case for Structural Glass." APT 13 (1981): 19-30.

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Acknowledgements

This Preservation Brief is partially adapted from an article entitled "Material Conservation for the Twentieth Century: The Case for Structural Glass," written by Douglas A. Yorke, Jr., AIA, which appeared in the Bulletin for the Association for Preservation Technology, 13 (1981), and from an unpublished manuscript by Thomas L. Hensley of the National Park Service. Preservation Brief 12 was edited by Gregory D. Kendrick, Historian, under the technical editorship of de Teel Patterson Tiller, both of the Rocky Mountain Regional Office, National Park Service. We wish to thank Mr. Yorke for permission to use his article and photographic material. Finally, we want to acknowledge Thomas G. Keohan, Field Representative, Mountains, Plains Regional Office, National Trust for Historic Preservation for donating photographs and assistance to this project.

Washington, D.C. Febuary, 1984

Home page logo: Early 20th century Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company Advertisement. "The Structural Glass of Infinite Possibilities: Cararra."

This publication has been prepared pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop and make available information concerning historic properties. Technical Preservation Services (TPS), Heritage Preservation Services Division, National Park Service prepares standards, guidelines, and other educational materials on responsible historic preservation treatments for a broad public.

Documents

Park Theatre, McKenzie, Carroll County, Tennessee, Heritage Development Plan