![]() ![]() I’d like to first recognize some very talented people who have done amazing research into the topic of Knoxville and her many theatres over the years. My hope is that this four-part article will provide a brief and broad history of the many theatres that have operated here in downtown Knoxville and that you, as a reader, will finish these articles having a new-found pride in the significance our city once had and continues to have today in performance art, music, and film. The new signage and public designation of this part of downtown Knoxville as the “Theatre District” is a small way to highlight the importance of the remaining theatres that are still open today while also reminding people of the role Knoxville played in being a regional destination for individuals wishing to see a live show or movie during the early decades of the 20 th century. Knoxville Theatre District Sign (Photo Oren Yarbrough) One comment I heard fairly regularly, and even with some small level of sarcasm, was how people found it humorous that the new signage boldly referred to the 500 through 800 blocks of Gay Street as the “Theatre District” when we only have two historic theatre’s and one movie complex in the general area. ![]() With a few years of established positive growth and an eye towards more potential successes, the wayfinding signage had become a necessary tool in directing visitors and pedestrians into and around downtown Knoxville. Here’s Oren:Ī couple of years ago the city of Knoxville replaced and upgraded all of the wayfinding signage in the downtown area. Two will run this week and two will run next week. *This is the first in a four-part series about Knoxville’s theaters, written by Oren Yarbrough, Architect Intern with DIA and author of the popular recent articles on the AT&T building. Cartoon Graphic, 1934 (From the Calvin M. ![]()
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