2026-04-13T08:15:43-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories https://shenandoahstories.org 2017-10-24T12:00:36-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:22-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/291 The Shenandoah Stories Team In 1940 William Dalke and his family completed a new movie theatre on this site in Woodstock. At the time it was one of two theatres operated by the Dalkes in Woodstock and one of several in their chain of movie houses in Shenandoah County. When it was built this structure was one of the newest and most modern theatres in the area. The building was constructed in the popular Art Deco Style and housed two businesses on the first floor along with the theatre. It could accommodate 350 persons in the main theatre and 150 more in its balcony. Movies were held regularly every night, several times on Saturday, and at a Sunday matinee. Travelling troops and community organizations also regularly conducted performances on the theatre’s stage, including westerns complete with horses. In an era before television and computers, it was one of the community’s most popular entertainment venues. During the Second World War the Community Theatre became an important part of the local war effort. Its primary function was to provide information to the community. Newsreels that provided updates on the war and the Homefront were shown regularly before movies and at special showings. In addition to providing news service, the Dalke family also turned the theatre into collection centers. Locals were invited to bring scrap items, fats, clothes, books, or other items in place or regular admission on special days. Informational films that promoted increased agricultural yields, war spirit, and bon sales were also shown. After the war the Dalke’s continued to operate, and expand this theatre and their chain. Two additional screens were added to the Community Theatre in the 1970s and 1980s. However, competition from television and larger theaters in other communities led to the closure of many of the Dalke’s movie houses. However, Community remained opened and was sold in 2008 to the Garman family who continue to operate the theatre. For more, view the original article. 2016-06-09T13:55:17-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/118 Shenandoah County Library In 1938, Burgess Nelson, a local businessman and Gulf Oil Dealer, built this theatre in Mt. Jackson. It was the first purpose built theatre in town and was modeled after the Rosalind Theatre in New York City. The theatre’s popular Art Deco style, complete with geometrical shapes in the glass on the front elevation, was sweeping the country caught up in modernization and technology. It exuded luxury, glamour, and faith in progress. At the time, a theatre was a major investment that promised large returns. Towns such as Mt. Jackson were the center of the county’s rural, agriculture based communities. Residents flocked to town to do business and shopping. While there, they also were sure to partake in the community’s recreational opportunities. Often times this included the theatre. Children, deposited here by their shopping parents, made up most of the daytime audience while adults filled the afternoon and evening shows before returning home. Always a prudent business man, Nelson incorporated commercial and residential space into his theatre design. Two businesses occupied first floor space and apartments filled the top. It continued to serve as a theatre until the 1960s. During its time in operation, it was affected by two major fires which required fire companies from throughout the county to control. Today only the business and residential space are occupied. For more (including 12 images), view the original article.