the center theatRE
100 Main Street
Today the Center Theatre building houses Southern Sugar
The Center Theatre at 100 Main was the third location where locals could catch the latest Hollywood release after the original Majestic Theater opened on Main Street and later moved to Confederate Street. For a brief time, the two theaters were open simultaneously. The Center was popular for its all-day westerns on Saturdays. During the Jim Crow era, African- Americans had to enter the theater through a separate door off Academy Street and could only be seated in the balcony.
Numerous attempted theatre businesses were reported in the early 20th century. The Fort Mill Times reported on Feb. 27, 1913 - "A. F. Montrose and L.Y. McAfee, two young men from Charlotte, have for several days been arranging for a motion picture show for Fort Mill and now announced that the show is ready for the public. The showroom is one Main Street, next to the grocery of W.L. Hall....."