1937 - The Groveland Auditorium - Built to Last, But...
The Groveland Auditorium was also built in 1937 as part of the Federal WPA program.
It had a stage and balcony seating with a rear outdoor bandshell.
In the 1950's-1960's, a private company leased this building to use as a movie theater, which the community referred to as "the walk-in".
Sometime around 1970, Elmer Puryear had the building demolished.
It is said that the only reason is was torn down was so that he could have his name on a building.
The structure was so well built, being made of poured concrete, that when they hit it with a wrecking ball, it simply bounced off.
They had to bring in the largest wrecking ball they could find, before finally begininning the long process of its destruction.
The existing Puryear Building, Groveland Historical Museum, and Veteran's Park are now located on this site.
Willie Morgan's family moved to Groveland in 1958. Willie recalls his earliest memory of Groveland when on a Saturday afternoon, he went to the Groveland Theatre and watched "Sink the Bismarck", with his brother and Frank Farr, Jr., his first friend in Groveland.
The Community Building at Lake David Park was also built as part of the Federal WPA initiative, on land donated by John Beach.
In the 1960's the building was home to the Teen way Club dances on Saturday nights and later became the Women's Club into the 1990s.
[Contributors: Jason Brown, Richard Helfst]