A handful of historic movie theaters across Virginia have reopened in recent years, and in December Wytheville will add its name to the list.
When it closed in 2006, the Millwald Theatre was one of the longest running movie theaters in Virginia. It couldn’t compete with modern theaters, and the downtown was drying up; storefronts sat empty.
Then in 2017, the town formed a non-profit to revitalize the downtown. They raised money to upgrade sidewalks and create greenspaces for pedestrians. They launched a competition to send four aspiring entrepreneurs through a free business training program. Two breweries, a restaurant and a pottery studio opened as a result. Then, they turned their attention towards the theater, a $5 million project.
“I’d like to think that something that happens in this little community can affect how this Appalachian region does as a whole,” said Gayle Manchin, Federal Co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, one of the agencies that provided funding to renovate and reopen the Millwald. She recently toured the building, which will have 500 seats, two classrooms, and a concession stand.
The Millwald was built in 1928. “A year later the stock market crashed. It ended Vaudeville as a touring art form. So all these old theater buildings, they strictly became movie houses,” said Jeff Potts, the theater’s new executive director. Potts said the theater has an orchestra pit and a stage that were never used.
Wytheville is just one of several towns in southwest Virginia, like Marion and Galax, that are boosting their economy through arts and music. All three have invested money towards reviving historic movie theaters into concert venues.
And all have been impacted by the boom and bust cycle of industries like tobacco, manufacturing and coal.
“This may have not been a coal region, per say, but you see how one region affects another region. So if an industry goes down in one place, that spirals out,” said Manchin.
“We believe that the same can occur when you start rebuilding. That as we start rebuilding and revitalizing our communities, that also spreads out.”
The Millwald is set to reopen on December 9th, with a musical performance by flatpicking guitarist and Wytheville native Scott Fore and special guests including guitarist Wayne Henderson.
The theater will also show classic movies beginning December 10.
The goal is to eventually open the theater every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and make a profit as a concert venue. Four full-time staff were recently hired to manage the business.
Wytheville is also set to open a new medical glove factory next year, which is expected to bring 2,500 new jobs to the area.
