Recent Press Releases of Success for the Theatre

West Georgia Technical College Students use Work Force Skills to Protect the Past

Posted: April 9, 2010
CONTACT: Angela Warner, WGTC Marketing Specialist; PHONE: 770-537-6056; EMAIL: angela.warner@westgatech.edu

On Broad Street in Manchester, a long-neglected landmark is coming back to life, thanks to the help of West Georgia Technical College students. With hundreds of volunteer hours from WGTC students and local contractors, The President Theatre is being restored to its original mid-century beauty and will serve as a community arts center for Meriwether County.

Built in 1935, The President Theatre served the Manchester community as a source of news, entertainment and civic pride. Originally operated by the Martin Company of Columbus, The President was named in honor of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who maintained a favorite personal residence in nearby Warm Springs. First elected in 1932, President Roosevelt would serve three presidential terms, returning to his Little White House in Meriwether County for therapeutic polio treatment.

“As the community changed, the popularity of the hometown theatre waned,” President Theatre Community Arts Center Director Regina Garrett said. Before it was abandoned, the last thing the old vaudeville and cinema theatre hosted was a church. “It just sat dormant for years, and now we’re going to make it a community arts center again.”

Under the guidance of Trades & Technology Instructor Jim Biagi, West Georgia Technical College students volunteered their time to run temporary electrical systems throughout the building. The roofing and flooring contractors will use this power system to complete renovations to the 75 year-old building. “Helping out on a project like this is good for our students,” Biagi said. “Not only is it good for our community in Meriwether County, but it gives our students the kind of real world experience they can use when they join the workforce.”

West Georgia Technical College students have a long tradition of volunteering their services. Drafting students have created museum-quality replicas of historic buildings, Dental Hygiene Students have screened race fans for oral cancer at a NASCAR event and Nursing students have performed free blood pressure checks. “Our students are members of this community and their dedication to it shows,” WGTC President Dr. Skip Sullivan said. “We’re proud of our presence in Meriwether County, and we’re proud to be able to contribute to a project that’s going to enrich the arts here for decades to come.”

The President Theatre Community Arts Center is expected to open in early 2011. The facility will seat 300 people and will be home to cultural and community events.

West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Troup counties and additional class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers over 130 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is the second largest of the state’s 28 technical colleges and one of the fastest-growing two-year colleges in the nation.

West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Troup counties and additional class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers over 130 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is the second largest of the state’s 28 technical colleges and one of the fastest-growing two-year colleges in the nation.



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