Grand Theatre, Fitzgerald
| www.FitzgeraldGrand.org GrandTheatre  mchsi com (grandtheatremchsicom) |
119 South Main Street Fitzgerald, GA 31750 Phone: (229) 426-5090 |
Theatre History
Originally a 1500 seat movie house with a small stage for the movie stars who accompanied the films, The Grand Theatre was built in 1935 to replace the Grand Opera House which was built on the same site in 1912 and burned in the early 1930’s from a nitrate film fire. The Grand Theatre initially included a rooftop dinner and dancing venue along with 4 store fronts on the street. The rooftop area was later enclosed and used for offices, an art studio, a dance studio and later for storage.
With the decline in the theatre industry and the building of the Capri Twin, the Grand officially closed in 1976 and was purchased by the city and county governments. The Grand became the first downtown redevelopment project in 1985, leading the way for many other historic renovations which have won state and national awards. Accomplished with corporate and private donations, renovations to the auditorium, stage and dressing rooms were completed in 1987. The manager position went full-time again in December of 2003 following the renovation of the balance of the facility and increasing demand for the use of the theatre and ancillary space. The Grand now also includes a park across the street with an amphitheater stage.
Today the Grand has resumed its place as the city center for entertainment and enrichment serving a rural community of 50,000 with over 350 events in 2008 including film, concerts, theatre, banquets, dance, school functions, weddings, and business, civic and governmental meetings and training events.
Town Demographics
Incorporated: December 2, 1896 Population: 8,758 Total Area: 7.29 square miles
Former Union soldiers founded the city of Fitzgerald, the county seat of Ben Hill County. The city was incorporated on December 2, 1896. The courthouse in Ben Hill County was constructed in 1909 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Historic District on South Lee and South Main streets in Fitzgerald is listed on the National Register.
The town’s streets are named for Union and Confederate generals. The old railroad depot is home to the Blue and Grey Museums of Civil War memorabilia. East Central Technical Institute, a member of Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education, is located in the City of Fitzgerald.
According to 2000 Census, the City of Fitzgerald had a population of 8,758 persons. Between 1990 and 2000, the city experienced a population decrease of -1.6% compared to the state growth during this period of 26.4%.