Church Hill Theatre and the American Downtown

Posted on | November 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment

It’s a common complaint that America is losing its downtowns. Once the centers of activity, many have fallen out of favor and been replaced by shopping centers and urban sprawl, leaving these historic areas to ruin. Eager to see that this fate did not claim their own downtown, the residents of Church Hill, Maryland worked hard to restore and revive one of their best known landmarks, the Church Hill Theatre.

The Church Hill Theatre today hosts plays, magic shows, children’s theatre and music events. Far more than the name “theatre” entails, it is really a center of community creativity, restored to its Art Deco glory and fitted with modernizations such as handicap accessible bathrooms. In the 20 years since 1988, no less than 76 productions have graced the stage of the Church Hill Theatre. There is always something interesting going on at this historic property.

Church Hill, thanks to the theatre’s restoration, enjoys a downtown that hearkens back to the time when they were the places to be on any given weekend night and the atmosphere still hasn’t lost its charm.