Cambridge Residents Launch Initiative for Historic Theatre

(CAMBRIDGE, Md) – The historic Tolley Theater has sat vacant in downtown Cambridge for decades. However, a few local business owners on Race Street are working to fix that as they’re trying to purchase the building.

Simmons Center Market Owner, and Dorchester County Council member, Ricky Travers remembers how popular the theater was in its prime.

Travers tells WMDT, “I mean, as a kid, I went to movies there and it was really a nice place. You know, you could go there and had a balcony and you could watch upstairs. Downstairs had two theaters and they used to have nothing but a balcony and downstairs. But then they converted the balcony to a second theater. So they had two theaters…”

Memories like that are why a grassroots movement, led by members of the community are working to raise the money needed to buy the building and build a new roof.

Brett Summers, a local business owner, and City Council member is helping lead the initiative.

“So our goal is to acquire the property and convert it into a performing arts center for the city. And so the first thing we have to acquire it, then we have to get a new roof on it because we have significant water leaks…” says Brett.

In total the initiative is trying to raise around 300 thousand dollars in order to purchase and repair the exterior…

And the movement is gaining early support, including from the previous owners.

Brett tells us, “…and we’ve actually been working with Shirley Tolley on the acquisition. She’s excited to see the the theater renovated and turned into a performing arts center.”

“So there are some demand out there for the more parts of the arts. And, you know, I think they’ve got the right initiative there. And I would like to see that happen.”

The Raise the Roof initiative is meeting Tuesday, November 10th at 6 P.M. at Blackwater Bakery in Cambridge to discuss plans. The meeting is open to the public.