Let’s Go to the Theater in Historic Hillsboro!
Let’s Go to the Theater in Historical Hillsboro!
by Susan Shewmake
Curtain in 5 minutes!!! I remember that call so well. I was a costume designer for over 20 years so theater is in my blood. No wonder the names of the theaters in Hillsboro caught my interest as I went around the square. The first on my list is J. Levy Opera House. Built in 1894 by Julius Levy, the building is currently the home of Business Supply Center. It started as a two-story building, then Mr. Levy added the third story where the operas were performed. The “Hillsboro Opera House Company” continued to serve Hillsboro until 1912. The movies made it hard for the Opera House to remain open and it closed. I found a reference on the Explore Hillsboro website that Mildred Holland, a renowned actress, performed at the Opera House on February 5, 1905. The Hillsboro Evening Mirror printed the title of the performance as “The Lily and the Prince.” Next time you walk by the office supply store, look up and you can still see the faint remains of a sign.
Did you know the location of the CASA office on the south side of the square was a theater back in 1926? It was known as the Best Theater. It had 500 seats and was renamed the Ritz Theater in 1940. It was operated by Robb and Rowley United Inc. which later became Rowley United Theatres in 1957. By the 2000s it had become office space and eventually the CASA of Hill County, Texas.
Do you like Italian food? You may have been in the Majestic Theatre located at 57 West Franklin Street. The building was Frankie’s and Milano’s in the past. At the top of the building is posted “The Majestic Theater 1890–1932.” The Majestic was built in 1890 by attorney James K. Parr who was one of the original investors in the Texas Electric Railway. The upstairs offered apartments and office space for Mr. Parr. The theater provided live performances and, later, silent movies. The theatre presented its last show in 1932. After the theatre closed, it housed a variety of businesses, including a feed store, Goodyear tire store and a shoe shop operated by Mr. Vernon Nelson. Mr. Nelson used the back of the theatre as his personal apartment.
How about the Texas Theater on Waco Street? It opened in 1926 as the Palace Theater. Renamed the Texas Theater in 1936 by Robb & Rowley, it continued to entertain Hillsboro residents for many years. In 1957 its owner became Rowley United Theaters Inc. The theater was closed for some time before going to Veritas Arts Inc. for renovation in 2019. The hoped to reopen in 2020, but unfortunately that never happened and the building is still closed waiting for the right company to step up and help. There was some exciting news about the property recently as the City of Hillsboro signed a lease for the facility while gauging interest in making the site a community event center. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting prospect!
There was a small theater on Waco Street on the east side of the square known as the Star. It’s in the building currently occupied by Star Studded Invitation. Go by and take a look at the sidewalk in front of the building. The name is there for all to see! It was originally known as the Dixie Theater and was located at 103 East Franklin Street. The Dixie’s name later changed to the Star and they moved to 77 North Waco Street. Not sure what year they relocated. I’m still searching for information about it.
The Best/Ritz was the only theater in Hillsboro with a balcony, and non-whites were welcome to that theater in the balcony. In the 1940’s and 1950’s the Ritz specialized in Western movies and Charlie Chan detective movies. The Texas Theater ran first run movies. Movie Tone News provided updates on national news and troop movements in World War II prior to the advent of television. I heard there was a movie theater for African Americans on South Church Street in the block south of the Walnut/Church intersection. Today that location is an open lot on the west side of Church Street. There was also a drive-in theater west of town on Highway 22 that was destroyed by a tornado in the 1970s. There was also a theater that operated at 105 West Elm Street known as the Crystal Theater. More research is needed about these, so please forgive the writer.
I hope this gives you a little insight into how fun our town once was and can be again!