Published: July 31, 2008 11:37 pm      

Sale to benefit Ro-Na Theater restoration

City leaders hope to convert area into center for the arts

IRONTON — A community organization in Ironton will host a white elephant sale on Saturday to raise money for the revival of a historic old movie theater.

Proceeds from the sale, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Depot Square, at Second and Vernon streets near the Ironton-Russell Bridge, will be used in the renovation of the Ro-Na Theater.

The theater, on South Third Street, opened in 1949. It was once the crown jewel of the city’s downtown and was also considered one of the finest facilities of its type in the Buckeye State. However, the theater closed in the 1970s and the building, which most recently housed an auto-parts store, has been vacant for years and has fallen on hard times of late.

The Ironton City Council took possession of the theater, which was donated to the city by the Hampton family, in February. City leaders are hoping to see it turned into a center for the arts, similar to other converted movie houses such as the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland or the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington.

A renovated and active Ro-Na could be the key to revitalizing Ironton’s downtown, said Cristi Murphy, president of Tri-State Artistic Friends, the non-profit organization sponsoring Saturday’s sale.

“Every town that has restored its theater has rejuvenated its downtown,” she said. “It’s proven that it works.”

Murphy said the response to pleas for donations for the sale has been overwhelming.

“We’ve got two 40-foot storage pods that are completely full,” she said. “My front porch, dining room and foyer are also full.”

Murphy said she has also gotten e-mails from people all over the country who have pledged to donate money to the renovation effort. One, she said, came from a Tennessee resident who informed her that he moved away from Ironton in 1981 but still has fond memories of the Ro-Na.

According to Murphy, whose husband, Frank Murphy, is a city councilman, the Ro-Na’s most pressing need is a new roof, which she said could cost in the neighborhood of $200,000.

Among the most prominent features of the building are the murals on the interior. Murphy said those are “in pretty good shape,” and that preserving them would be a top priority.

Saturday’s sale will feature a variety of items from small household goods to appliances and furniture, Murphy said. There will also be food and baked goods for sale, along with T-shirts that say “I Got My First Kiss at the Ro-Na.”

Murphy said the group was still accepting donations, which are tax-deductible, for the sale. However, she said the group could no longer pick up and haul the items because its schedule was “booked solid.”

She said organizers would be at Depot Square all day today to accept dropped-off items.

For more information, call Murphy at (740) 532-8495.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.