page_title: Winnsboro, Louisiana
section_title: Princess Theatre
hierarchical_section_title: Winnsboro, Louisiana / Culture / Princess Theatre
caption_attribution_description: English: The Princess Theatre in downtown Winnsboro, Louisiana
context_page_description: Winnsboro is a city in, and the parish seat of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,910, down from 5,344 in 2000. The city is 59 percent African American. U.S. Highway 425 passes north–south through Winnsboro concurrent with Louisiana Highway 15 and extends northward to Rayville, the seat of neighboring Richland Parish.
context_section_description: The Princess Theatre was established in 1925 by George Elam. Two years later, Elam moved his theatre into a building on Prairie Street which was established in 1907. The Princess remains in that location. Leasing the building from Rowena Ramage, Elam worked to improve the building which was built in 1907. Silent movies were shown on a screen while live piano music brought the films to life. A few years later Elam bought records to play along with the movies. When sound was added to films in 1930 Elam installed a sound system in the theatre.
  In the early 1940s, Elam made the building longer. In 1960, Elam sold the theatre to Jack Pope. Pope continued leasing the building from Ramage while keeping the Princess operating. Competition from a multiple-screen movie theater led to the closing of the Princess Theatre in 1985.
  In 1992, Rowena Ramage gave the Princess Theatre building to the city of Winnsboro. A board of directors was appointed care for the building. In 1993, the board announced renovation would begin immediately on the theatre.
  In May 2002, the Governor's Arts Award program released the following statement.
  The Princess Theatre is an inspiring example of what can happen when a community believes in itself and the value of the arts to quality of life. The theatre has contributed substantially to the life and economy of Winnsboro and Franklin Parish. The restoration of the turn-of-the-century Princess Theatre to a live performance venue was the catalyst for the development of historic downtown Winnsboro. Further, the theatre's programs include a full series offering international, national, and local performances as well as a coffee house series that is free to the community. The Princess functions as both a performing arts venue and a forum for educational programming; it has transformed cultural opportunities in Northeast Louisiana and continues to be a model for success throughout the region.
  Country singer Kix Brooks, a Shreveport native, will host a fundraiser for the Princess Theatre on September 28 and 29, 2018. Brooks, will headline a two-day "Kickin' It With Kix" to thank donors working to keep the historic theatre open. "Preserving venues like the Princess – which bring the arts to rural communities – is more important than ever. The arts inspire, and institutions like this theatre provide a necessary public service and a convenient, affordable location to experience live entertainment," Brooks said.
caption: The Princess Theatre in downtown Winnsboro
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