Site of the Olympia Theatre & Palmetto Bakery

This building housed the Olympia Theater that opened in 1917 and was owned by Mr. Erwing W. Stoltz. Mr. Stoltz and his family lived above the lobby for a time and it later became his office. In 1923 the name changed to the Palmetto Theater. The theater remained in operation until the 1953.

The lobby of the theater was shared with Earl Mason’s Bakery Shop, but the bakery was in a separate building behind the theater. 

For a time, this building also contained the Iverson & Lloyd Drug Store and the Lloyd family lived upstairs. 

It reopened for a short time in 2009 as the Olympia Children's Theatre until 2012, and is now privately owned by Alexander Berne (visual artist and jazz musician) and serves as his home and recording studio. 

Located diagonally across from the Palmetto Carnegie Library and adjacent to the Palmetto Public Library, on 10^th Avenue West is a very unique looking building with ascending vines on its façade. This building housed one of Palmetto’s earliest theaters, The Olympia Theater. The building was advertised in the December 8, 1916 issue of the Palmetto News by E.W. Stolz and the theater was opened soon after following a renovation and was initially run by Mr. Stolz himself. Residents of the town began viewing moving pictures or flickers here in 1917. The theater was complete with a box office, costume closet, theater seating with balcony and a pressed metal tile ceiling. It had many names after its opening in 1917, including The Palmetto Theater. Live music accompanied the silent films. The theatre closed in 1953.

It reopened for a short time in 2009 as the Olympia Children's Theatre until 2012, and is now privately owned.

This entry was created by Palmetto Historical Park staff using Palmetto Historical Park’s records and photos.