THEATER HISTORY
The Pastime Theatre was built in 1937 by
local contractors and laborers, and was operated for many
years as a movie theatre with a stage large enough for
vaudeville productions. The original building was not
air-conditioned, but had a system of fans and air
ventilation. The balcony was divided into three areas. The
projector room was at the upper end of the balcony. The
balcony seating area was divided into two partitioned
sections. A part of local history also included the
separation of blacks and whites in the theatre. The black
theatre-goers bought their tickets on the opposite side of
the ticket booth from whites at the bottom of a separate
stairway that lead them directly up to a segregated area in
the balcony.
During its heyday, the theatre was owned by George Thornton,
who was also connected with the drive-in theatre in Gu-Win
and the walk-in theatre in Carbon Hill. The Winfield and
Carbon Hill theatres were mirror images of each other.
In 1965, Jack Lane Borders and wife Francis purchased The
Pastime Theatre. The theatre continued to operate as a movie
theatre through the mid-70�s, then closed for a number of
years, but reopened in the 1980�s under different management
for a few years, finally closing permanently in the 1980�s.
The A. P. Seals family purchased the vacant building in 1993
and used it primarily for storage, until Winfield�s Main
Street Program purchased it in November 2000.
Bob Henger, who was the administrator at Carraway Northwest
Medical Center in Winfield and president of Winfield Main
Street, is credited for having the vision to restore this
theatre into a performing arts theatre. He oversaw each
detail of the restoration, and did most of the fundraising.
Restoration of the theatre began in 2001 and the initial
phase was completed in 2002, at a cost of approximately
$300,000. Layers of paint were stripped off the front fa�ade
of the building to expose the original yellow glazed brick.
There were no electrical, mechanical or plumbing features
that were functional; all had to be replaced. Acoustical
tiles were removed from the ceiling exposing a wooden grid.
This grid was painted and became the new ceiling structure.
A new heating and air conditioning system was installed,
along with theatre stage lighting and curtains, seating, and
a state-of-the-art sound system. Restoring the landmark
building to its 1937 art deco style was an important
consideration and a point of community pride. Nine original
seats in the segregated balcony were roped off to retain
this piece of history
During the restoration and demolition work, a poster was
discovered behind a panel wall advertising a vaudeville act,
�Cousin Wilbur and his Tennessee Mountaineers� coming to the
Pastime Theatre, February 19." Unfortunately, the year of
the show was torn off at the corner of the poster.
To fund this project, grants were received from the State
Tourism Department, Alabama Power Foundation, the Pate
family and the Kemp Foundation, as well as donations from
many local businesses and individuals. Representative Mike
Millican and Senator Roger Bedford were also helpful in
obtaining these state grants.
Main Street sponsored various
fundraisers and sold seats for $150.00 each to raise
additional money.
As restoration was nearing completion, Congressman Robert
Aderholt helped secure a 50/50 matching grant from the Save
Americas Treasures fund. $50,000.00 was raised locally,
which was matched by the grant. This made possible the
addition of a new marquee, a new roof and a grand piano, as
well as a computer, a spotlight and miscellaneous
furnishings along with additional sound equipment.
In May of 2005, Main Street deeded the theatre to the City
of Winfield, and Mayor Bill West and the city council
appointed a seven-member board to operate the theatre. The
theatre board strives to be self-supporting.
The mission of the theatre board is to enhance the cultural
atmosphere of Winfield and the surrounding area by providing
a diverse schedule of musical, artistic and educational
programs for citizens of all ages. The theatre is a
wonderful venue which provides quality entertainment to
Winfield and the surrounding area.
Each year a four-performance concert series is scheduled and
sold as season package. Individual performances are also
scheduled throughout the year. Several free events are
scheduled for kids which include special movies, magic
shows, storytelling, etc. Pastime Music Revues feature
several acts and are scheduled every three or four months.
In the past there has been a wide variety of performances at
the theatre�comedians, storytellers, children�s plays, and
all types of musicians, including classical piano, violin,
an Irish tenor, folk, country, and rock and roll. Broadway
and nationally-known stars, as well as local performers,
have been showcased.
The empty Hollis Pharmacy building adjacent to the theatre
was purchased in April 2007 to be used for theatre dressing
rooms, prop storage and dinner theatre, as well as an area
to display local art work and historic memorabilia. When the
renovation is complete it will be possible to have stage
plays at the theatre. This building, like the theatre, was
deeded to the city of Winfield.
The Pastime Theatre has a glorious past and warm
memories�many stories of courtship, �first kiss�, �met my
wife there� �holding a girl�s hand for the first time�, some
young brides whose husbands were away during World War II
passed their time at the movies and watching the news reels,
and people remember going to the matinee on Saturday for a
dime.
The Pastime Theatre also has an exciting future.