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Chester Little Theater

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SC Picture Project / Chester County / Chester Little Theater

This Art Deco-style movie theater in downtown Chester opened sometime around 1913 – possibly earlier – as the Dreamland Theater. The owner of the Dreamland Theater was a man from Greensboro, North Carolina named Roland Hill. In the late 1920s Hill sold the cinema to Joseph Walters. Walters renamed the business the City Theater.

Little Theater Chester

Ann Helms of Spartanburg, 2009 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Walters’ ownership of the theater was brief, as he sold it to Fred Powell shortly after Powell moved to Chester in 1935. The new owner changed the cinema’s name to Powell Theater and renovated the building. Sensing opportunity in the movie theater business, Powell opened a second theater on Main Street with an adjoining soda shop in 1939. He called the second cinema the Chester Theater, and he eventually opening a third cinema on Gadsden Street called the Palmetto Theater. The site of the Palmetto Theater is now a realty office, and the Chester Theater on Main Street was demolished in 1969.

Dreamland Theater

Courtesy of Cinema Treasures, 1917

In later years this building was home to the Chester Little Theater, which hosted live productions. However, due to structural issues, the Chester Little Theater had to vacate the building. Today it stands empty.

Plan Your Trip: Chester Little Theater

Where is Chester Little Theater located?
Address: 107 Wylie Street, SC 29706
GPS Coordinates: 34.705611,-81.212249
What else should I see?
Chester Masonic Temple 0.1 mile
Chester County Courthouse 0.1 mile
Davega Building 0.1 mile
Pressly-White House 0.1 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Chester Historic Sites
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    Chester Little Theater Map

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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