WMS21 - Clemson Plaza

Formerly the Clemson Theatre

History

John McMinn constructed a building on Main Street (WMN11) in the early 1900s and had planned to leave the upper floor unfinished until he needed it later. Five other men in town, “Penny” Ayres, Hume Harris, A.B. Riley, Pat Bradley, and Ora L. Jones had an idea to show movies somewhere and thought McMinn’s second floor was a good place to do it. They leased the entire second floor, built a stage, and installed a second-hand movie projector. As the public began to pay to see the moving pictures, they added two or three professional vaudeville acts to perform onstage. While the stage acts weren’t profitable, the movies did well.

Sometime about 1912, a man named Frank Clements moved his family from Vermont to Brevard. Frank was a jeweler and planned to open a shop in the city. He bought “Penny” Ayres’s jewelry shop in 1913 and decided to buy the picture show business from the other gentlemen.

Movies were first shown in Brevard in 1907 on the second floor of the Dunn’s Rock Building (SBW12) by W.M. Bradley and Company. According to the 1931 Sanborn Maps, movies were even shown in the Mull Building (SBW21). The map also indicates that there was a balcony.

The Courthouse occasionally showed moving pictures, particularly to raise money to buy clocks for its tower (1911). In 1912, they became one of the entertainment attractions in “The Auditorium,” a large room on the second floor of what became known as the Plummer Building on West Main Street (WMN13). A few years later, Clements became the movie operator, and his son Verne became involved in the movie shows in that building. The movie operation in the Auditorium was frequently called the Clemson Theatre.

Early in Brevard’s history, the southwest lot at the corner of Main and Caldwell streets was owned by a man named Jenkins. There was a frame building on the lot. In 1987, a George H. Smith was one of the proprietors of a shoe store called The Racket Store that was located in the building. In a May 1907 newspaper ad, A.B. Benjamin’s Restaurant and Bakery placed an advertisement in the Sylvan Valley News, giving their location as “Corner Main and South Caldwell Sts.” The earliest map of the area is the 1911 Sanborn map, which shows a bakery at the southwest corner of the intersection and a “Water/motor” business on the southeast side (where the bank building is today - WMS19). Since Phillip’s had his bakery at the southwest corner by 1911, it’s a safe bet that he succeeded Benjamin in the frame structure. 

The Clemson Theatre

Frank D. Clement and J.S. Bromfield bought the Jenkins lot, the location of Phillip's Bakery, in April 1924. The Brevard News announced that month that they planned to build a "modern ground floor picture theatre" that would seat 500 people. The reference to the ground floor was probably intentional, since Clement had been showing movies for some time in the Erwin building's (WMN13) Auditorium on the second floor.

In 1926, Clement built his theater to show moving pictures and serve as an entertainment venue for Brevard. Many local businesses were involved in the construction, although the architects (T.H. and J.G. Cunningham) and the builders (the Knight Company) were from Greenville, SC. Nicholson & Duclos handled the plumbing and heating, and J.W. Fortner did the electrical work. The building’s hardwood flooring was purchased from the local Carr Lumber company.

Clement opened his theater to the public on Monday, July 26, 1926. He named it the Clemson Theater, a combination of his name, Clements, and a reference to his sons, who would help run the business.

The 40x132-foot buff tapestry brick building was built for about $100,000. It could seat more than 600 customers. The two-story structure was divided on the first floor into two retail spaces separated in the middle by an outer lobby entrance to the theater’s tiled interior lobby. The box office was at the rear of the lobby, and storage rooms were on both sides. At one side of the rear of the lobby was the women’s restroom, while the other had a stairway leading down to the men’s restroom and a smoking room in the basement.

A large marquise decorated with 81 lights extended over the sidewalk.

Inside the theater, there was a balcony that could seat 123 people. Beneath it, the projection room was constructed with a concrete ceiling, floor, and brick walls, making it “fireproof.”

A 16x27-foot stage had been installed, with two sets of steps leading from the auditorium. There was an orchestra pit, and a private box. A dimmer system controlled the lights.

Two apartments were on the second floor above the two front retail spaces and outer lobby, one of which Clements planned to use himself.

The theater walls were plaster, and the floors were hardwood. There were three exits: one at the front on Main Street and two others on Caldwell Street.

The Clemson Theater showed silent movies until June 1929, when the first talking pictures were shown there.

Occupants and history after the theater opened

In September 1926, merely two months after opening, the Neel Realty Company moved into one of the first-floor retail spaces, likely in the corner spot. Clement opened Clement Jewelry and Photo Shop, moving his store into the new building’s right storefront. It’s not known how long Neel was there, because reliable sources have said that, in the early years, the corner storefront was occupied by Phillip “Jerry” Jerome and Joseph Silversteen. The Citizen’s Telephone billing office may have also been in the space. It seems that Jerome and Summey Insurance and Citizen’s both worked out of the small space from 1929 until 1939.

In September 1928, the City was instructed to enforce state fire laws by prohibiting parking in front of the theater on Main Street and along the side of the building on Caldwell. Records indicating when that ban was lifted haven't been found, but it didn’t last long.

Brevard Savings and Loan moved into the corner retail space in 1929. Clements had opened his jewelry store (Clements Jewelry) on the right side in August 1928. His advertisements often referred to himself as "The Hallmark Jeweler". He continued to be busy, having been installed as the President of the local Kiwanis Club that same year. He wasn’t there long, because Jerome and Summey Insurance (and Citizen’s Telephone) moved into the space around 1929.

Brevard Savings received their federal charter in 1938 and became Brevard Federal Savings and Loan.  They needed additional space, so offices were added to the rear of the theatre building and they moved into the new spaces.  Kizer’s Gift Shop moved into the corner location, but they apparently weren’t there long. Ford’s Corner, owned and operated by John A. Ford, moved into their vacated left corner space (WMS21a). Ford's was a small store with a soda fountain, having only three booths. A cheese sandwich, a Coke and a piece of bubble gum only cost 25 cents. 

In 1939, the Brevard's black population were able to see movies at the Clemson because of new accommodations. They had a separate entrance and ticket office on Caldwell street. They had to sit up in the balcony, and often went to see westerns on the weekends. On July 3, a new movie based on a Zane Gray novel, Western Heritage of the Desert, was shown to celebrate the occasion. Some of this information was documented by Peggy Hansen in an interview with L.C. Betsill. Betsill was remembering experiences from the 1930s. If black patrons wanted something to eat, they would go downstairs to Ford's Corner to get popcorn, sodas and sandwiches before heading up to the balcony to watch the movie. Ford later became Brevard's Mayor in 1951.

It was reported in a 1994 article that a research named Bob Dairymple had discovered that the Clemson was rated as the best movie theater in the State in 1935.

The theater received significant upgrades around July 1938. Improvements included new fixtures, aisle lighting, balcony seating arrangements, sound equipment, mats in the lobby, and carpets in the aisles. At some point, the Simplex projection unit in the Co-Ed was more modern that the equipment used in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The Music Hall had their Simplex projection equipment installed some time after the Clement had installed it here.

Clements bought the hardware and furniture store next door (WMS22) that same year. He immediately renovaged the building and created another theatre he called the Co-ed, the name selected because they hoped to attract students from the recently-made co-ed Brevard College. The Co-ed’s art moderne style was reminiscent of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

When the Co-Ed opened, it showed more of the first-run movies, while the Clemson focused mostly on westerns and serials.it showed more of the first-run movies, while the Clemson focused mostly on westerns and serials.

In February 1942, Clement and his son Verne announced they had sold the Clemson and Co-Ed theaters to C.B. “Dick” Carter, H.B. Shiflet, and other parties in Morganton, NC. The sale was effective on March 2nd. Carter and his wife Margaret moved into the apartment above the Clemson and Co-ed, and Margaret and Herbert Shiflet managed the theaters while Dick was in the Army from 1942-1945.  It’s not known why Clemet sold the theaters. Verne, a two-term mayor of Brevard, died at 54 in July 1953.

Around 1950, John Ford sold his business to the Biltmore Company, which opened Biltmore's Ice Cream Parlor in the space. 

After Biltmore’s Ice Cream Parlor (formerly Ford’s Corner) had closed, the Pisgah Industrial Loan company moved into the corner storefront on June 28, 1954.

The theater continued to run until 1956. Its projection equipment was moved to the Brevard Drive-In. 

After the theatre closed

In 1959, Brevard Federal moved and State Farm Insurance took their former offices at the rear of the building, making them the last tenants of the Clement building. 

The City of Brevard bought both theaters (WMS21 and WMS22) in 1980 after determining that renovation efforts would have been too expensive. They had hoped to keep the building and business in an effort to revitalize Main Street. The local Arts Council leased it from 1984 until 1986, but didn’t do anything with it.

Tim Hall, a local businessman and past owner of many properties in downtown Brevard, approached the City after the vacant theater had been empty so long that it was crumbling. The roof had fallen in, and nothing remained except girders and the exterior walls. He offered to pay the City about $1000 to salvage when he could, including the derelict ticket booth from the interior lobby. Representatives from the City rejected his offer.

The Clemson Theatre was demolished in 1994 after lengthy discussions by City officials and local preservationists.  The property, extending all the way from Main to Jordan Street, had deteriorated to the point that an engineering report commissioned by the city said it needed a new roof and electrical system. It was considered  for uses such as public restrooms and a park. New owner's were sought, but many were discouraged by the engineering report. In the end, it was decided to let it go. 

In the mid-1990s, there were discussions about the possibility of painting a mural on the wall of the property (the exterior east wall of the Co-Ed. By June 1996, it had been decided to make the property a park and the wall of the Co-Ed was refurbished. The City of Brevard cleaned up the property and planted new grass and shrubs. In 2023, it was further improved and given the name Clemson Plaza to commemorate the Clemson Theater. That same year, a North Carolina Historical Marker was placed in the Plaza to commemorate the life of Brevard native Loretta Mary Aiken, known as stand-up comedian Jackie “Moms” Mabley.

Cast of Characters

• John McMinn: Constructed a building on Main Street in the early 1900s where a movie show business was established on the second floor.

• “Penny” Ayres: One of the five men who had the idea to show movies on the second floor of John McMinn's building. He also owned a jewelry shop which he sold to Frank Clements.

• Hume Harris: One of the five men who had the idea to show movies on the second floor of John McMinn's building and later sold the business.

• A.B. Riley: One of the five men who had the idea to show movies on the second floor of John McMinn's building and later sold the business.

• Pat Bradley: One of the five men who had the idea to show movies on the second floor of John McMinn's building and later sold the business.

• Ora L. Jones: One of the five men who had the idea to show movies on the second floor of John McMinn's building and later sold the business.

• W.M. Bradley: Associated with W.M. Bradley and Company, who showed the first movies in Brevard in 1907.

• Frank Clements (Frank D. Clement): Moved to Brevard around 1912, bought a jewelry shop, and then bought the movie show business on the second floor of McMinn's building. He later built and opened the Clemson Theater and converted the adjacent hardware store into the Co-Ed Theater. He also ran a jewelry store and a photo shop.

• Verne Clement: Son of Frank Clements, became involved in the movie shows and helped run the Clemson Theater. He was also a two-term mayor of Brevard.

• George Philip (or Philipp): A baker from Germany who operated Phillips Bakery in the former Jenkins Store building and later moved it to Jordan Street.

• George H. Smith: A lawyer who had a business called the Racket Store in the former Jenkins Store building around 1897.

• J.S. Bromfield: Bought the Jenkins lot with Frank D. Clement in 1924, with plans to build a ground floor picture theater.

• T.H. and J.G. Cunningham: Architects from Greenville, SC, who designed the Clemson Theater.

• The Knight Company: Builders from Greenville, SC, who constructed the Clemson Theater.

• Nicholson & Duclos: Handled the plumbing and heating for the Clemson Theater.

• J.W. Fortner: Did the electrical work for the Clemson Theater.

• L.C. Betsill: Interviewed by Peggy Hansen, providing memories of attending movies at the Clemson Theater in the 1930s.

• John Ford: Operated Ford's Corner Sandwich Shop, initially downstairs from the Clemson Theater balcony entrance, and later moved into the corner retail space of the theater building. He later became Brevard's Mayor.

• Bob Dairymple: A researcher who discovered that the Clemson Theater was rated as the best movie theater in the State in 1935.

• C.B. Carter: One of the parties from Morganton, NC, who bought the Clemson and Co-Ed theaters from the Clements in 1942.

• H.B. Shiflet: One of the parties from Morganton, NC, who bought the Clemson and Co-Ed theaters from the Clements in 1942.

• Tim Hall: A local businessman and past owner of properties in downtown Brevard who offered to salvage parts of the derelict Clemson Theater and later restored and installed the original ticket booth at the Co-Ed Theater.

• Peggy Hansen: Authored "Transylvania Memories" which includes interviews with L.C. Betsill, Priscilla Caldwell, and Mae Glazener, providing historical information.