If you have driven down East Main Street in Downtown Statesboro, Georgia this week, you may have noticed scaffolding and fencing going up in front of the popular Emma Kelly Theater and the Averitt Center for the Arts.
The City of Statesboro, owner of the buildings, has hired Hudson and Hubbard Contractors to make much needed repairs to the exterior of the 88-year-old Emma Kelly Theater.
The $131,530 project was approved by City Council at their April 16, 2024 meeting. This project is urgent in nature as it is located above the entrance to the Emma Kelly Theater portion of the Arts Center.
Hudson and Hubbard Contractors estimate it will take about 30 days to make the necessary repairs. The Averitt Center and Emma Kelly Theater will continue to operate during the renovations. Patrons are asked to enter the theater through the Averitt Center for the Arts main entrance located at the corner of East Main and Seibald Street.
The City of Statesboro acquired the two buildings in 1997 and oversaw the renovations of the buildings which opened in 2004 as the Averitt Center for the Arts.
The arts center in named for former Statesboro Mayor David "Hal" Averitt who had the vision of converting the two abandoned buildings into an arts center. It was part of his goal as Mayor to create a vibrant downtown in the city he loved so much.
The Averitt is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
History of the buildings
Here is the history of the buildings as seen on the Averitty Center for the Arts website.
The Georgia Theater
The Georgia Theater was built as a “motion picture theater” and opened for business in 1936. Featuring modern conveniences such as steam heat and a coffee shop in the lobby, the Georgia Theater was also one of the first air-conditioned public buildings in Statesboro. Entertaining audiences for close to 50 years, the theater closed in the 1980’s. The building's style was maintained in the 1997 renovation which made it a part of the Averitt Center for the Arts. Named for the Statesboro musical legend, the building is now known is the Emma Kelly Theater.
The Old Bank of Statesboro
The buildings making up the Averitt Center for the Arts are a unique combination of two downtown Statesboro historic landmarks. The Bank of Statesboro was chartered in 1891 and formally opened its doors in 1895. Bulloch County’s first bank survived many hurdles in its 37 year run. Relocating for the third time in 1911, the Bank of Statesboro moved to 33 East Main Street and continued serving the community until the stock market crash of 1929, and forever closed its doors in December of 1932. Although the Bank of Statesboro never reopened, the building was utilized in many different capacities until the City of Statesboro bought it in 1997 to house the David H. Averitt Center for the Arts.
