Rebirth of the Kay Theater, Rockdale, Texas. (original) (raw)

Another old, single-screen movie theater has been reborn, this one being the Kay, in Rockdale, Texas. The Kay opened in 1947. A Quonset-style building, it had a Streamline Moderne facade and decor. There was a small balcony, originally for the use of African-American patrons in the era of segregation. It was a functioning movie theater until the early 1960s. A group of volunteers, the Kay Theater Foundation, recently purchased and began restoration on the long-vacant theater for use as a performing arts center.

Here is how it appeared in December 2006:

And in November 2009, proving the miraculous effectiveness of a fresh coat of paint: