Exterior Lincoln Theatre Interior Lincoln Theatre
On this day in 1924, the Lincoln Theatre opened at 311 North Church Street. It was the first theatre built to serve the black community.
The Lincoln Theatre was strategically located near cafes and businesses that African-Americans frequented. It was just around the corner from the Lafayette Theatre, which was the second theatre built for the black community.
Both theatres closed in the late 1960s, after struggling for many years with the same problems that plagued all downtown theatres.
The block of businesses bounded by Church, Fourth, Chestnut and Third Streets was demolished, and the Phillips Building (housing the Sheriff’s Department) is located there today.
Photos courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
