Mount Vernon Theatre has officially reopened its doors in Tallassee, bringing new life and entertainment to the community.
Offering a fresh vision and interactive experiences for guests, two local families aim to revive the theater’s rich history and rekindle cherished memories that have been shared across family generations for decades. Bill and Sandra Patterson, in collaboration with father and son duo, Joey and Barry Wiginton, saw a future in this once-treasured venue, partnering to revive this piece of Tallassee history.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“%96C6 :D 2 hb\J62C\@=5 >2? H9@ E@=5 FD 2 >6>@CJ 96 925 @7 8@:?8 E@ E96 E962E6C H96? 96 H2D 2 =:EE=6 3@J[” D2:5 q:== !2EE6CD@?] “w6 D2:5 E92E 96 H@F=5 5@ 49@C6 H@C< 2C@F?5 E96 9@FD6[ DF49 2D 4FEE:?8 E96 8C2DD[ E2<:?8 E96 EC2D9 @FE 2?5 H2D9:?8 E96 5:D96D] w6 H@F=5 5@ H92E6G6C 96 ?66565 E@ 62C? 2 =:EE=6 >@?6J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“w6 E96? D2:5 96’5 86E 2 BF2CE6C 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 H66< 2?5 E2<6 E92E BF2CE6C E@ 4@>6 FA E@ E96 E962E6C] w6 H@F=5 86E 2 E:4<6E 7@C 2 5:>6[ 3FJ 9:D A@A4@C? 7@C 2 ?:4<6=[ 86E 9:D 42?5J 7@C 2 ?:4<6= 2?5 86E 2 5C:?< 7@C 2 ?:4<6=] p?5 96 H2D 92AAJ]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 9:DE@C:4 G6?F6 92D 366? 2? :4@? :? %2==2DD66 D:?46 `hbd H96? :E H2D @C:8:?2==J 6DE23=:D965 2D 2? 6?E6CE2:?>6?E G6?F6 7@C E96 H@C<6CD 2?5 72>:=:6D @7 |@F?E '6C?@? |:==D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmx? `heg[ E96 E962E6C 4=@D65 :ED 5@@CD 7@C d_ J62CD[ 3C:67=J C6@A6?:?8 :? a_`g 27E6C F?56C8@:?8 2 Sf__[___ C6?@G2E:@?] |@F?E '6C?@? %962EC6 D9@H65 AC@>:D6 2D 2 E9C:G:?8 3FD:?6DD F?E:= E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4 7@C465 :ED 4=@DFC6 @?46 282:?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm}@H[ E96 h_\J62C\@=5 E962E6C 92D 4@>6 324< E@ =:76[ E9:D E:>6 H:E9 2 ?6H G:D:@?] p?5 E96 %2==2DD66 4@>>F?:EJ 92D 6?E9FD:2DE:42==J 6>3C2465 E96 C6@A6?:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“~?6 =25J 42>6 :?E@ E96 E962E6C[ 2?5 D96 DF556?=J DE2CE65 4CJ:?8[” D2:5 !2EE6CD@?] “%96 >6>@C:6D D96 925 2D 2 =:EE=6 8:C= 4@>:?8 96C6 H6C6 E@F49:?8] $96 E@=5 FD E92E H96? D96 H2D J@F?8 D96 42>6 E@ |@F?E '6C?@? 2?5 H2E4965 k6>mv@?6 (:E9 E96 (:?5k^6>m] $96 E96? 2D<65 FD[ ‘(@F=5 J@F D9@H :E 282:?n’ x E@=5 96C J6D >2’2>[ H6 DFC6 H:==] $96 H2D D@ 92AAJ 2?5 =67E FD >6>@C23:=:2 @7 #96EE qFE=6C 2?5 $42C=6EE ~’w2C2 E@ 92?8 :? E96 E962E6C]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmx? AC6A2C2E:@? 7@C E96 8C2?5 C6@A6?:?8[ E96 ?6H @H?6CD E@@< D:I >@?E9D E@ C6?@G2E6 E96 DA246 :?E@ 2 AC6>:6C G6?F6[ 255:?8 2? 6=6G2E65 E@F49 @7 6=682?46 E@ E96 G:?E286 2E>@DA96C6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96D6 C6?@G2E:@?D :?4=F565 FA8C2565 D62E:?8 7@C 8F6DED[ :?4=F5:?8 c_e A25565 492:CD :? E96 >2:? E962E6C] %96 @H?6CD H2?E 8F6DED E@ 92G6 2 4@>7@CE23=6 G:6H:?8 6IA6C:6?46] kDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“%96 @=5 D62ED FD65 E@ 36 H@@56? 492:CD] %96J H6C6 D@ F?4@>7@CE23=6[” D2:5 !2EE6CD@?] “!6@A=6 H@F=5 4@>6 E@ E96 E962E6C 2?5 92G6 E@ 3C:?8 D62E 4FD9:@?D E@ D:E @?] $@[ 3C:?8:?8 :? ?6H 492:CD H2D @FC ?F>36C @?6 562=]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmz?@H:?8 E96 D6?E:>6?E2= G2=F6 E96 E962E6C 9@=5D 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ E96 !2EE6CD@?D 2?5 (:8:?E@?D @776C65 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C A6@A=6 E@ 24BF:C6 E96 @=5 E962E6C D62ED 2D >6>@C23:=:2] (:E9:? cg 9@FCD[ 6G6CJ D62E H2D 4=2:>65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“x? EH@ 52JD’ E:>6[ H6 82G6 2== cf_ D62ED 2H2J[” D2:5 y@6J (:8:?E@?] “~?6 >2? 42>6 :?[ E62C:?8 FA[ 2?5 E@=5 FD E92E 2== 96 H2?E65 H2D @?6 D62E E@ C6>6>36C E96 E962E6C 3J]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmp55:E:@?2= :>AC@G6>6?ED E@ |@F?E '6C?@? %962EC6 :?4=F565 6=682?E FA8C256D DF49 2D 3=24< >2C3=6 7=@@C:?8[ 49:4 32E9C@@> E@F496D 2?5 7C6D9=J A2:?E65 H2==D 2?5 46:=:?8Dj 9@H6G6C[ !2EE6CD@? 2?5 (:8:?E@? E@@< DA64:2= 42C6 E@ AC6D6CG6 9:DE@C:4 762EFC6D @7 |@F?E '6C?@? %962EC6 2?5 :?4@CA@C2E6 E96> :?E@ E96 8F6DE 6IA6C:6?46 E@52J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 @C:8:?2= E:4<6E 3@@E9 7C@> `hbd :D DE:== FD65 2E E96 @FE5@@C 6?EC2?46 @7 E96 E962E6C[ H9:=6 G:?E286 7=@@C:?8 2?5 24@FDE:4 D@F?5 3@2C5D 92?8 :? E96 >2:? D9@H:?8 C@@>] p 92?5>256 DE2:?65 8=2DD H:?5@H :D E96 46?EC2= 7@42= A@:?E E92E 8C66ED 8F6DED :? E96 =@33J[ 2?5 E96 @C:8:?2= E962E6C 5@@C 92?8D 2D 2 A:646 @7 2CE ?62C E96 4@?46DD:@? DE2?5D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm~?6 @7 E96 >@DE A@AF=2C 2CE:724ED @7 E96 E962E6C :D E96 D:8?2EFC6 @7 w2?< (:==:2>D $C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 4@F?ECJ >FD:4 =686?5 H2D 2 7C6BF6?E G:D:E@C E@ E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 2C62[ H:E9 E96 E@H? @7 %2==2DD66 36:?8 2 72G@C65 DE@A] sFC:?8 @?6 EC:A E@ E@H? :? E96 `hc_D[ (:==:2>D A6C7@C>65 2E E96 |@F?E '6C?@? %962EC6 2?5 D:8?65 9:D ?2>6 @? 2 324< H2==] sFC:?8 E96 C6?@G2E:@?D[ (:==:2>D’ D:8?2EFC6 H2D 42C67F==J 7C2>65 2?5 :D ?@H @? 5:DA=2J :? E96 E962E6C =@33J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm%96 >2:? 8@2= 7@C C6@A6?:?8 |@F?E '6C?@? %962EC6 H2D E@ 4C62E6 2 G6?F6 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ E@ 4@>6 E@86E96C 2?5 4C62E6 =2DE:?8 >6>@C:6D[ 2D 86?6C2E:@?D 367@C6 E96> 92G6 5@?6] !2CE @7 E9:D G:D:@? H2D E@ 4C62E6 2 F?:BF6[ :?E6C24E:G6 6IA6C:6?46 7@C 8F6DED]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm|@F?E '6C?@? %962EC6 >256 :ED 8C2?5 @A6?:?8 :? s646>36C a_ac[ 563FE:?8 H:E9 r9C:DE>2D >@G:6 ?:89ED] pF5:6?46D 6?;@J65 4=2DD:4 7:=>D E92E H6C6 6?92?465 3J 76DE:G6 24E:G:E:6D] %9:D :?4=F565 >@G:6 EC:G:2 @? E96 3:8 D4C66?[ >FD:42= A6C7@C>2?46D 2?5 8C@FA D:?82=@?8D @7 r9C:DE>2D 42C@=D =65 3J E96 E962E6C DE277 367@C6 E96 D4C66?:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmx? 255:E:@?[ |@F?E '6C?@? %962EC6 9@DE65 2? :?5@@C “D?@H32== 7:89E” 5FC:?8 :ED =2DE D9@H:?8 @7 E96 J62C] vF6DED H6C6 6?4@FC2865 E@ 3C:?8 3C2?5\?6H D@4<D C@==65 :?E@ 32==D] %96J E@DD65 E96 D@4<D 2E 6249 @E96C :? E96 2F5:6?46 2D 2 AC6E6?5 D?@H32== 7:89E H:E9 D966C ;@J 2?5 56=:89E] u@==@H:?8 E96 D?@H32== 7:89E[ E96 D@4<D H6C6 4@==64E65 2?5 =2E6C 5@?2E65 E@ 2 =@42= D96=E6C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“(6 H2?E E9:D E@ 36 2? 6IA6C:6?46 7@C @FC 8F6DED[” D2:5 (:8:?E@?] “}@E ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 2 >@G:6[ 3FE 2 >6>@C23=6 6IA6C:6?46] xE’D H92E >2<6D 4@>:?8 96C6 D@ DA64:2=]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmx? 255:E:@? E@ @776C:?8 :?E6C24E:G6 >@G:6 ?:89ED[ E96 !2EE6CD@?D 2?5 (:8:?E@?D 92G6 A=2?D E@ >2<6 |@F?E '6C?@? 2 >F=E:FD6 G6?F6] %96 ?6H @H?6CD =@@< E@ @776C E96 DA246 2D 2 F?:BF6 =@42E:@? 7@C H655:?8D[ 4@CA@C2E6 >66E:?8D 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 3:?8@ ?:89ED[ 2>@?8 @E96C @AE:@?D]kDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm k^DA2?mk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm“xE’D 23@FE 3C:?8:?8 E96 4@>>F?:EJ E@86E96C[” D2:5 (:8:?E@?] “p?5 8:G:?8 324<[ 2?5 92G:?8 7F?]”k^DA2?mk^Am
