When the Palace Theater opened in Gallatin in 1913, Woodrow Wilson was president, the 50th Anniversary of the Civil War was celebrated at Gettysburg with veterans of the war in attendance, Ford Motor Company had just begun production of the Model T car, and you could see a silent film version of “Ivanhoe” for a nickel.
From 1913 until 1987, the 198-seat Palace Theater was the place to go to see the latest film and the focal point of downtown Gallatin. Bill Roth operated the Palace from its opening until 1977, and his son, Bill Jr., ran it for 10 additional years. Then it was padlocked, abandoned and largely forgotten.
In 1994, it was purchased at auction after the death of Roth by Johnny and Sonny Garrott, who subsequently donated the historical theater to Greater Gallatin, Inc. for renovation. Then it took six years and $700,000 to restore the theater to usable condition. Its opening show in 2000, “The Kid,” was a sell-out.
Recently, the theater received a grant of more than $50,000 from a United States Department of Agriculture Rural Business Development Grant to do more preservation and updating. An additional $5,001 was received from Historic Downtown Gallatin. The total cost of the new preservation efforts will be $59,000. This is one of many grants received over the years to keep the theater in good shape and up to date in technology.
According to Historic Downtown Gallatin Director Donna Belote, these new grant funds will go towards the purchase and installation of a computer-controlled LED lighting system and insulating curtains that will be placed around the stage to save energy and block sound. The lighting system is expected to be installed in the spring.
It was 2018 when the theater received its previous facelift, including updating the stage, ticket booth, concession stand and bathrooms; replacing old lighting, flooring, and countertops; painting; and installing new carpeting and new fabric on the acoustic diamonds on the wall. The work was done by ProGreen Restoration LLC.
Other work over the years has included installation of a digital projector and Dolby surround sound, new marquee lighting outside, and the old “The Palace” sign got a makeover to look like it did in the early 1900s when “The Palace” opened. And initially, a lot of work was done to stabilize the building after years of neglect.
Now the theater plays host to movies, plays, concerts, corporate training events, business seminars, fundraisers, and community events — like the showing of Christmas movies during the holidays. There is a two-story rehearsal and backstage area at the rear of the building. A 30-foot screen hangs behind the stage that can be seen from every seat in the house.
One thing renters might have to do is share the space with the spirit of the original owner. He loved the place and many believe he never wanted the lights to come up and the show to end. The story is that he had planned to pass the family-owned jewelry store, which was next to the theater, to his son, and the theater to his daughter. Unfortunately, she died before the theater even opened.
WKRN reported that the Tennessee Wraith Chasers (TWC), a group of paranormal investigators, found quite a pit of paranormal activity in the building, especially in the auditorium and projection room.
Roth loved the theater and many items he had put into the theater are still there, including the wall sconces in the auditorium that are made of tin and cut glass, and the seats, which are almost 100 years old.
“The theater) can’t be replaced… It’s not a cineplex. It’s one screen, it’s narrow, there’s 198 seats, it’s quaint (and) there’s a lot of charm in there, a lot of history … To me, it’s very important that it be preserved,” Belote recently told “The Tennessean.”
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