https://johnsonvilleschistory.org/files/original/bb5d5f7dabdb7b74b13d150dabbab0f1.pdf 11e6ad710ee069f09e13b7c53f41541c PDF Text Text .... - . as • - • • Theater Burns, Almost • \\'hat could have settled the argun1ent of the old theater building between the owner, Chiv('S Prosser, right for~ground. and Johnsonville City Officials, would hav~ be~n the destruction of the building by the fire which firemen are fighting. \\ at~r \\as shot through the windows and through the roofless top as members of th(' Johnsonville Volunteer Fire Departn1ent fought to distinguish the fire while Policf' Chief Cat" I Skinner, l~ft foreground, directed traffic from around the scene. For inside view of building look elSC\\'here in paJ>~r . • • • It appeared last Friday to take it out by hand. He said morning that fate would settle the fire was well attended at all . the question of renovation or times, and that someone was demolition of the old Prosser left with the fire Monday night. Theater building in John- After becoming ill Monday sonville, a controversy which night, he returned to the scene has been going on for some time on Tuesday morning, he said, bet ween city officials and the but didn't feel like continuing Prosser. with the work, so at that time owner, Chives However, the quick action of the the fire was put out, with water, Johnsonville Vol unteer Fire to his staisfaction. Department resulted in saving Prosser said he left the down the old brick building and the town area at 11 a.m. to return to question remains. his home, and that at apIn a telephone interview from proximately 11:30 he received a is home in Johnsonville telephone call saying that the Monday, Prosser told the front of his building was on fire. OBSERVER that he had been He said he had no idea what burning in the building the day happened Wlless the "wind before the fire. He noted that stirred up a spark." roof had fallen in as a result " If anyone is to blame for "of the severe snow and ice what happened it is me," •L·-·· m four years ago''. He said Prosser said, ''I was burning on 1 uch of the roof material had my own property, and I felt I llen between the seats and he was completely in my rights.''. t it would be much easier to H~ said Monday afternoon he "-~·ply b\J.rn the Olaterial inside was on his way to Florence to .,"-&A.&,....•• than 1't ~ld to try purchase material to put a ~s-·~7 metal roof on the building, that in two weeks he would ha it looking quite differently. Questioned about the m of the building which has an eyesore and considered safety hazard since operation the theatre ended a proximately 13 years ago Mayor Connie De Camps only, "The officials are into the matter in regards to safety of our citizens., refused further comment. Delight Amusement Center, business located in La adjacent to the old building, had been closed the fire because it was to be unsafe due to the fact ~.. the fire may have weakened walls of the building and might possibly collapse. walls have been braced and amusement center opened business Monday ni&bt. Fire Gbief Irby Stone said department received tbe call the old theater building at 11: a.m. on Tuesday morning responded with two trucks. said it was necessary to heavy lines and a deludge gun bring the fire under control. said they had the fire control at 11:55 a.m., bu ranained on the scene untill: �Demolition Stage 1 The old Johnson\ ill~ Th~ater Building a landmark in the town for many years catue d0\\11 last F.-ida) afternoon as a demolition crew from Charleston razed the stnactua·e in a 1na tt~r of hours. The first step pictured above was to pull down a • back cornt-r of the old building with cables attached to a heavy duty loader. Demolition Stage 2 c • ' rfecthely razin, th~ backwall of the old theater building the waH facing Bel\·ie\\ Street was d ntolished when they were pushed i~ver. ~i the he~~~ e ui ntenl u d b) the dernolition crew. Then the other s e l\a was pu tO~\ :..d the insidf~~ of the original building by uteaus of heav~ c•b~s st;un1 ·0 , i . 'I• " 11 uf · 11 can be seen fa I mg on"' a p1 eo · 1 0 1 h• ug h op n1 g .. , . J, .. ft 1 and bt·ick . 1 .s-., 1 11 �.. .. .... Demolition Stage 3 Th~ last section of wall to be brought down in last Friday's demolition or the okl thf'ater building on the corner of Broadway and Belview Streets ia Johnsonville seen1s to be precariously balanced in midair before it came crashing down addl!IIIJJ to the pile of brick a nd rubble at the site of the old building which was deslt)lyid b)· fire the "eek before. .. Conference Chives Prosser, owner of the old Johnsonville theater building which was par.. tially destroyed by fire two weeks ago demolish~d last weekend is shown reading the contract allo\\-ing the demolition crew to r·aze the structure. Shown from left a r e Buddy F eagin . Johns onville police officer, Carl Skinnt'r, Chief or Pmice. 1 Prosser a nd i\l r. S\\eatm,lo contractot\ Tl • o 1tract c lied fm· the building to bf' : razed, the lot to b cl.:.aned an l*Ough graded. ht> ett. u Jo .n on\ lUe e nt t into the contract for the demolition of the building when the building \\as found to be unsafe following the fire. ~·JJ,.ll/? � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Weekly Observer Description An account of the resource The Weekly Observer was published out of Hemingway, SC from 1973 until printing ceased in 2012. The paper continues as an e newpaper on scnow.com Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-2012 Subject The topic of the resource Local Newspaper covering the Johnsonville and Hemingway communities. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Weekly Observer Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Fire Destroys Old Prosser Movie Theater Building, 5-5-1977 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 5 May 1977 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Weekly Observer Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource David Mace Description An account of the resource Article details the fire that destroyed the inside of the Prosser Theater building and the tear-down of the remaining structure a short time later. 5 May 1977 article News Weekly Observer