The city of Dahlonega is full of ghosts. Really, it is - the historic town is full of, well, history, and some of that includes spirits that are't ready to go home yet.
One of those places in the Holly Theatre. Sitting quietly off West Main Street, the former cinema went from complete disrepair to a revival in the 1990's.
"By the time we got it in 1990, it had become very dilapitated. And the community came together, about 40 of us, and formed a 501 (c) 3 to restore the old building," said Hal Williams, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "We were going through a spurt of growth in Dahlonega's tourism and we needed something that would bring people downtown at night."
Before that, the Holly was a movie theatre, built by Randall Holly Brannon. A fire destoryed a building near the Price Building on the Dahlonega Square, which used to house the Dahlonega Theater. Brannon decided that building wasn't enough for his idea however, and set out to build the Holly in 1946, after the war.
"He gathered all the materials together and was ready to begin building when he ran into the Rationing Board, which was still left over from World War II, and they told him he could not use all the materials to build," said Williams. "So he had to contact Senator Walter F. George in Washington to get the Rationing Board overruled. We say this is the only theater we know of, certainly in Georgia and probably in the Untied States, built by act of Congress."
As you can imagine with its history, the Holly has seen a cast of characters, if you will, and the rumor is there are a few that stick around.
"Some people say they have seen ghosts. One of our players says they've seen the ghost of a little girl; one of our actors saw a tall man here and then suddenly they weren't here. And I know I came down to close up the theater downstairs late one evening, about 11 o'clock and I suddenly got chills on the back of my head. But I didn't see anybody... but I did make a hasty retreat," said Williams. "The ghosts like theatre just as much as everybody else does."
Our very own Bill Wilson is a regular at the Holly. He said he hasn't encountered a ghost yet, but he knows plenty who have.
As you can imagine with its history, the Holly has seen a cast of characters, if you will, and the rumor is there are a few that stick around.
"Some people say they have seen ghosts. One of our players says they've seen the ghost of a little girl; one of our actors saw a tall man here and then suddenly they weren't here. And I know I came down to close up the theater downstairs late one evening, about 11 o'clock and I suddenly got chills on the back of my head. But I didn't see anybody... but I did make a hasty retreat," said Williams. "The ghosts like theatre just as much as everybody else does."
Our very own Bill Wilson is a regular at the Holly. He said he hasn't encountered a ghost yet, but he knows plenty who have.
"I have two friends who direct shows up there. They were holding auditions in the main stage, and they didn't have enough sides for the auditionees. So the two of them counted heads, agreed on the count, and while one stayed at the front of the stage, looking out over the audience, the other went to make copies. When he returned, there was one less person in the auditorium... but NO ONE had been seen leaving.
Speaking of Wilson, he's also featured in the Holly's upcoming Christmas special "Twas the Night Before a Christmas Carrol" which will debut December 2.
The Holly does several shows a year, including plays, musicals and children's theatre, as well as classes and concerts. Williams said the Holly is unique because it is both a producing and a presenting house - meaning they both create programs and shows on their own and host others that need a venue. More on their productions can be found here.
"And, Gabe Russo was building a set there alone one night as well. He was painting a flat, when the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. He turned around and saw a shadowy figure by the door leading to the vestibule. He called out to it, but there was no response. When he descended from his ladder, the shape was gone."
Speaking of Wilson, he's also featured in the Holly's upcoming Christmas special "Twas the Night Before a Christmas Carrol" which will debut December 2.
The Holly does several shows a year, including plays, musicals and children's theatre, as well as classes and concerts. Williams said the Holly is unique because it is both a producing and a presenting house - meaning they both create programs and shows on their own and host others that need a venue. More on their productions can be found here.
