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| Masonic Temple Strand Theatre |
Temple Served As
Lodge, Theatre
By Horton P. Beirne
Commemorative Issue
Covington
Virginian, Saturday, July
24, 1982
One of Covington’s landmarks
is coming down this week after 80 years of service not only to Covington’s Masonic Lodge
members but to almost every citizen in the area over the age of ten.
For 62 years the Strand Theatre was housed on the lower
floor of the Masonic Temple on Covington’s
Main Street
and most residents know the building by the theatre name instead of its
official title. Covington Masonic
Temple.
Over the years, the building housed, in addition to
Covington Masonic Lodge No. 171, A.F.&A.M. and the Strand Theatre, a news
and magazine shop, barber shop, sandwich shop and was known far and wide in the
1920’s as the “Opera House.” Prior to
the Strand opening in 1915, the auditorium was known as the Masonic Theatre and
Alleghany County judges held court on the third
floor while the present courthouse was being constructed.
The building was built in 1901 by the Masons and the Strand opened its door in August of 1915, founded by the late Harry W. Robertson.
The stage on the first floor has been used for local plays,
minstrels and community activities and during the early years of the century vaudeville.
Many residents of the Highlands
can vividly remember the Opera House in all its majestic glory, bright lights
illuminating the building’s façade and half of Main Street as the theatre patrons
emerged from their automobiles and entered the carpeted lobby on their way in
to the auditorium for an evening’s performance.
They were greeted by the marble-walled lobby with its chandelier hanging
from the decorated ceiling.
The comings and goings of the building’s trustees, members
of the Masonic Lodge, were more subdued as they entered to attend the closed,
ritualistic meetings on the third floor in the Lodge’s chambers. 1903-1981.
The public was prohibited from entering these rooms but was allowed on
the first floor as well as the second which was the entrance to the theatre’s
balcony.
Inside the theatre, the burgundy colored wall-to-wall carpet
continued from the lobby and tapestry in coordinated colors adorned the
walls. The arched stage had gold trim on
the curtains in addition to the heavy burgundy ones which were opened and
closed as needed.
A piano and later a pipe organ were located “down front”
just below and in front of the stage in the orchestra pit and were used during
the vaudeville days and for local plays and minstrels.
When the days of the live-performances went the way of the
railroad’s steam engines, a large screen was installed for showing movies just
back of the curtains. Two projectors
were used for showing movies and for many years M.T. “Snatch” Persinger was
operator and major-domo of the projection room.
Snatch had only one arm, yet “he could do the work of two
men with that one arm. He was something
else.” The Rev. John Henry Jackson
recalls.
Seating was available for over 500 patrons – about 390 on
the main floor and 140-150 in the balcony.
One of the first air conditioning systems in a public
establishment was in the Strand and many an
Alleghany Countian witnessed his first “talkie” movie in 1929 when a sound
system was installed.
The late Harry W. Robertson – businessman, fireman,
councilman, civic leader owned the Strand Theatre in addition to – over the
years—the Little Theatre, Collins Theatre, Visulite and Covington Highway
Drive-in Theatre. He came to Covington just after the
turn of the century and operated the theatres through the Covington Amusement
Company and was a partner of the Painter and Robertson men’s clothing store on
middle block of Main Street.
Many residents of the Highlands
were associated with the Strand during its 62
years including Mr. Robertson, Mrs. Nell Fleshman, Snatch Persinger, Hazel
Aiken who was with the Covington Amusement Company for over 40 years, the Rev.
John Henry Jackson, Mrs. I.C. Wagner, who played the organ, usher Harrison
Scott and three of Snatch’s sons and Mrs. Z.H. Smith who sold tickets.
These are but a few of the folks who worked full or part
time with the amusement industry in Covington.
Lunchroom
Following the building’s construction on the site of the
former Burke’s or McCurdy Hotels in 1901, the lower portion of the Masonic Temple was rented.
Facing the building on the right of the main entrance, a
penny candy store was housed for many years and around 1930 the late Chix
Payne, daughter of Mrs. Forrest E. Payne of Rosedale,
owned and operated the Strand Lunch Room where sandwiches and beverages were
sold.
Virginia Payne of Rosedale
recalls, as a young girl, looking through the windows of the penny candy store
and trying to decide which treat her money would best be spent on.
Later, after her sister purchased the sandwich shop from a
family named Wright, she worked in the short-order restaurant when in town on
breaks from college classes. Her mother
baked home-made pies which were cut and sold in the shop and many were ordered
whole and taken home by customers.
The sandwich shop closed around 1945 and later Mr. Robertson
used the space as his office for the Covington Amusement Company. It was used in this capacity until the
building was vacated in 1981 following the 1980 sale by the Masons to First
National Exchange Bank in 1980.
The Citizens National Bank, later changed to FNEB, had sold
the lot to the Masons as a location for their temple around 1900.
Barber Shop News Stand
On the left side of the main entrance, the Strand Barber
Shop operated for many years with “Three chairs, no waiting.”
Among barbers who plied their trade there were Fred
Middleton, Bob Quate, Bill Harman, Gene Treynor. H,M. Miller and Pete Jenkins.
The barber shop was in full swing in 1925 when H.M. Miller
came to Covington
and it closed around 1975.
George Whitecotton operated a barbershop in the space for
about a year until the space was rented for a news and magazine shop.
Neil McKee operated Charlie’s News from 1976 until 1978
before closing the doors permanently.
His was the last business to operate in that portion of the building,
the Strand having closed in 1977 Covington Amusement Company offices remained
in the building until 1981 and when they moved the doors of the former Opera
House, Theatre, Candy Store, Sandwich Shop, temporary courthouse were closed
for good.
Since that time furnishings have been removed, engineers
have determined that renovating the building would be a costly undertaking and
next to impossible and the decision has been namd to dismantle the structure
before it falls and causes damage or injury.
The large hall is vacant, void of the once splendid
trappings, which adorned the walls, floors and ceilings. The seats are gone and the stage is empty,
waiting for the wreaking ball, the last production which will take place in an
area that for almost 80 years provided entertainment laughs and tears for four
generations, both young and old alike.
The stage is dark, quiet, the last curtain call haws been
made, but if you close your eyes and concentrate – you can remember . . . . .
Silent Movies and Vaudeville
While most Alleghany
County residents recall
viewing movies at the Strand Theatre until it closed in 1977, many can remember
the days when the movies were used to fill in between live performances.
Vaudeville was the name of the entertainment game at the
Masonic Theatre, Covington Opera House, form the early 1900’s through the
1920s and along with professional performers, the Opera House and later Strand
Theatre, was the location for local minstrels, dance contests and other
displays of local talent.
High school minstrels were held on the strand’s stage and in
1921 the “Greater Covington Minstrel” was presented by the American Legion and
Covington Band June 20 and 21.
When the Charleston was
popular, R.F. Berine III of Rosedale recalls, “the Strand offered moving
pictures and Mr. Robertson put on a Charleston
contest between features. Couples would
go up on stage and dance to the organ music provided by Nell Fleshman and a
winning couple for the evening would be chosen.”
“Before World War II, a pipe organ was installed replacing
the piano and as the organ was played shutters would open and close in time to
the music. With
