 408
Highway 41 N
Ruskin, Florida 33572Built in 1948
by Harold Willis, the
Ruskin Theater was the hub of entertainment for the surrounding
communities. Many people living in Ruskin still remember the movies and
the popcorn.
Maxine Simmons who was the first
woman Honorary Mayor of Ruskin in 1971 remembers Mr. Peabody and the
Mermaid as the first movie that played here.
Johnnie June Harris-Carter,
daughter of hometown "Doc" John Henry Harris, remembers a live
performance at the theater by cowboy movie hero Lash LaRue who used a
whip instead of a gun against the "bad guys."
Over the years the building has been used for
various purposes, including a thrift store. Today the building sits empty
and is at risk of being lost to Ruskin's future. This historic building,
located within the
Downtown Ruskin Redevelopment Plan area.
Read more, written by the students in Mr. Dunn's 5th
grade class at Cypress Creek Elementary School:
Daniel Sanchez
Alberto Acevedo |
