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The Paramount Center for the Arts (ex Paramount Theater) is located in Bristol Tennessee. Bristol is a unique town in that the state line between Virginia and Tennessee runs right through its center. The theater is located at 518 State St. which is on the south side of the street and in reality, is in Tennessee. I In 1982, Harry Daniel transferred ownership of the Paramount to Theater Bristol, Bristol's amateur theater group. Theater Bristol gave the theater to the Paramount Foundation and in less than a year and a half, $2.3 million was raised from concerned citizens, area businessmen, city and state governments to provide funds to rebuild and enhance the Paramount. The theater as it stands today is essentially how it looked when it was completed in 1930. The marquee is a replica of the original which had deteriorated beyond repair. Four rows of seats were removed to allow the proscenium to be moved forward and the back wall was moved back to enlarge the stage area. The result is a stage that is capable of hosting everything from New York road shows to local body building contests. The original organ was dismantled in the 1950s during a remodeling to accommodate Cinemascope
and a stereo sound system. The pipes went to an amusement park in Alabama and the console went to Kings college and has since disappeared. The present organ belongs to The Piedmont Theater
Organ Society (PTOS), a chapter of The American Theater Organ Society (ATOS). The Paramount rents the organ from PTOS for $1.00 a year. |
n the 1930s, Bristol was the vibrant center for economic growth, education and the fine arts in the Mountain Empire. Downtown Bristol thrived with many shops,
stores, offices, a busy train station, theaters, restaurants and hotels. It was for that reason that the founders of the Paramount chose the location we enjoy today. For almost 50 years, the Paramount
satisfied the varied tastes of Bristolians from vaudeville to the movies. As with most of our theaters, The Paramount fell victim to changing times and tastes. In 1979, the lights were dimmed for
the last time and the Paramount was closed.
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