Black Cinema in Gainsboro
This historic building was constructed in 1923 by Albert F. Brooks and C. Tiffany Tolliver, African American businessmen with commercial properties on Henry Street. On September 3rd the Strand Theatre opened as a cinema performance venue. The west end of the first-floor interior contained offices for the Micheaux Film Corporation and for Brooks Realty Company, as well as a ticket booth. A second story projection booth and balcony were accessed by stairs on the south wall. Films were shown on a screen above a shallow stage at the east end of the building. The theater also boasted tasteful decor, an organ, modern projecting equipment, and the capacity to seat 700 people.
Read about pioneering film-maker Oscar Micheaux
The Virginia Theatre, Morocco Club, and Ebony Club
The Strand Theatre closed its doors on December 24, 1931, however the building then housed the Virginia Theatre (1933-1934) until it moved to Centre Avenue. Later the building became an entertainment venue which housed the Lincoln Theatre (1935-1945), the Morocco Club (1945-1961), and finally the Ebony Club (1962-1965).
The Building as it Stands Today
Today the building is home to the Claude Moore Education Complex and houses the Al Pollard Culinary Arts Program. Historic features such as the ticket booth window and tiled lobby are still visible in the interior of the building.
Sources
Businesses on Henry Street during the 1930s and 1940s. (n. d.). Henry Street Historical Marker. City of Roanoke, Virginia.
Nelson, H. (n.d.) Theater Histories. [Unpublished manuscript]. Gainsboro Library Vertical Files, Roanoke, VA, United States.
New race theatre opens its doors. (1923, September 15). New Journal and Guide.
New theater to open in Roanoke Sept. 3. (1923, Aug 18). The Pittsburgh Courier.
New theatre in Roanoke wins public esteem: E. L. Lewis is moving spirit behind entertainment. (1935, July 13). New Journal and Guide.
Roanoke theatre to reopen November 25 as a Lichtman unit: The Virginia, completely renovated and with latest equipment, to present “San Francisco” as first major attraction. (1936, Nov 21). New Journal and Guide
When Roanoke was the black Hollywood. (2015, April 26). The Roanoke Times.