Rylander Theatre
| www.Rylander.org Director  Rylander org (directorrylanderorg) |
310 W. Lamar Street PO Box 864 Americus, GA 31709 Phone: (229) 931-0001 ext. 11 |
Theatre History
Walter Rylander, Sr. began the construction of the future Rylander Theater in 1919. The theater was built as a civic auditorium, a stage for the performing arts, and a movie house. After a year and a half of construction, the Rylander Theatre opened its doors for its first live performance, the hit play Lightnin on January 21, 1921, and was called “The Finest Playhouse South of Atlanta.” Three weeks later, the Rylander presented its first movie double feature with Mary Pickford’s The Love Light and Harold Lloyd’s Get Out and Get Under.
Americus Grocery Co. purchased the Rylander in 1934. In 1945 its name was changed to the Roxy, which was purchased by Martin Theaters in 1950 and closed the following year as Martin built a new building. In 1959 the Cohen brothers purchased the building and the front part of the building was rented out to various businesses. The auditorium was closed off and left to decay for fifty years. Since opening in 1999, the Rylander Theatre has housed hundreds of public functions welcoming thousands of audience members, serving as part of the composite of attractions that draw tourists to the area. Newly renovated, this 1921 vaudeville era theater is equipped with state of the art lighting, sound and communication systems.
As an educational resource the facility has contributed to the realization of community-based programs and enrichment activities for area schools, as well as serving as a venue for touring productions by nationally acclaimed artists. These offerings simply would not have been available for this under served population without the existence of the Rylander Theatre.
Town Demographics
Incorporated: 1832 Population: 17,013 Total Area: 10.68 square miles
Americus is the county seat of Sumter County and was founded in 1832. The city was incorporated as a town and established as the county seat December 22, 1832. Americus, the masculine version of America, was named for western continents, which in turn were named for Amerigo Vespucci.
The international headquarters for Habitat for Humanity is located in Americus. This non-profit organization is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing around the world. It is now one of the top ten homebuilders in the country.
Famous people who are past Americus residents include Dan Reeves, the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons, and Can Gailey, the coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
Georgia Southwestern State University, located in the city of Americus, is a member of the University System of Georgia. Also, South Georgia Technical Institute, a two-year vocational-technical school, provides residents with an opportunity for technical training.
Vintage architecture in Americus can be seen in the Windsor Hotel, located in the business district of the city. This massive brick structure, built in 1892, occupies an entire city block.
According to 2000 Census, the city of Americus had a population of 17,013 persons. Between 1990 and 2000, the city experienced a population increase of 3.0%, compared to the state growth during this period of 26.4%.