Heritage, 2010, Volume 4 Page: 14
39 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Ritz and make it ritzier than Judge
Templeton ever imagined. With as-
sistance from Wellington native and
retired architect Frank Jones, the res-
toration team gingerly replaced rotten
beams and wall structures, installed
windows, and shut out the wind and
rain with a new roof. The bats and pi-
geons moved on.
The restoration team also took pos-
session of a neighboring building and
carved out state-of-the-art dressing
facilities and a large commons area
to complement the 1928 building. By
popular demand, floral-print carpet-ing was placed in the aisles and on
the mezzanine stairs. And just like in
1928, some important men from dis-
tant cities moved in to install the lat-
est lighting and sound equipment just
before another grand opening was
scheduled in October 2007.
Since the Ritz reopened, it has been
operated by the nonprofit Wellington
Ritz Theater Inc. board as a first-run
movie house and a popular venue for
"Live at the Ritz" shows that feature
area arts groups about once a month
on Sundays. Big names such as Asleep
at the Wheel, the Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band, and Michael Martin Murphy
have played to packed houses madeup of not only Wellington residents, but
visitors from neighboring towns as well.
Historic Wellington President Gay
McAlister, like Bill Hatch, remem-
bers the Wellington that was and
believes that the Ritz is making the
town a better place to live by helping
re-establish the sense of community.
Even in a small town, this can be lost
in the age of the Internet and satellite
television.
"I feel that the community has been
brought closer as we enjoy so many
happy occasions at the Ritz," McAli-
ster says. "There seems to be a morepositive attitude concerning Welling-
ton; I want to think that the Ritz has
had a part in that. Young people are
returning to live here, and it has to be
one of the factors that they consider."
McAlister says she doesn't have
proof that the Ritz has impacted the
town economically. She's noticed,
however, an uptick of out-of-town
visitors who come not only for mov-
ies and live performances but also for
regional meetings and family celebra-
tions. "It has become a very important
part in the community life," she says.
"I am preparing today to attend a
luncheon there-and showers, anni-
versaries, birthday parties, and many
HERITAGEN Volume 4 2010other occasions are celebrated at the
historic theater as well. Teenagers stay
in town many times when they likely
would have driven out-of-town, if not
for a movie or concert here. Children's
movies fill the theater with parents
and their youngters. Our community
theater brought performers and audi-
ences together from all walks of life."
McAlister adds, "In hindsight it was
one of the greatest ventures our
community has undertaken, and I
would tell any town that it is well
worth the effort."
The Ritz sequel isn't the only come-
back about which the folks in Wel-
lington can brag. Since the theater
reopened, the taxpayer-supported
Collingsworth General Hospital
opened a new clinic about six blocks
away and is nearing completion on a
sympathetic addition to the original,
tile-roofed hospital building built in
the 1930s. The Wellington Indepen-
dent School District has enlarged
its academic and athletic facilities at
the high school. Rodeos and eques-
trian events are kicking up dust at
the new fairgrounds that opened on
the highway shortly before the Ritz
restoration. Just off the square, local
preservationists have targeted for res-
toration another broken-down symbol
of Wellington's past-the town's first
gas station that dates back to 1919.
Each of these small victories alone
isn't enough to turn back the tide
of decline that has swallowed up so
many small towns on the Plains. But
combined, they seem to be having
an effect on Wellington. The Ritz's
comeback is a perfect symbol for this
renewal. Because of the Ritz, one's
chances of being stuck in a crowd
in downtown Wellington have im-
proved. A slow heartbeat is quicken-
ing, and yes, Wellington does seem to
be alive, Mr. Hatch. *
Wes Reeves is senior media relations
representative at Xcel Energy in Ama-
rillo and a Preservation Texas board
member.A>
[3r C
The lobby at the Ritz Theater, including the snack bar area shown above, has been restored
to its original glory. The restoration was a catalyst for several other preservation projects.
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, 2010, Volume 4, periodical, 2010; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth254219/m1/14/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.