Music is going to help bring a piece of Tarboro's history back to life.

A benefit concert will raise money to restore the Colonial Theatre on Main Street to open it to shows and community gatherings, said Carol Banks, manager of the Blount-Bridgers House.

Telegram photo / Joel Hodges (ENLARGE)

When the volunteers are done, the Colonial Theatre in Tarboro will have a touch of the glory it enjoyed when it opened in 1919.

"They want to bring it back to life and have it as a downtown local theater, which would have plays, music festivals and vintage films," Banks said.

The concert is at 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at Keihin Auditorium at Edgecombe Community College.

Milton Bullock, a former member of The Platters, will be the master of ceremonies at the concert, Banks said. The evening also will feature the Danny Daughtridge Trio, Scott Radosevich, the After Six Barbershop Quartet and the Tarboro High School Gospel Choir.

The Colonial was built in 1919 as a movie theater and closed in 1982, said Joe Spiers, past president of the Edgecombe County Veterans' Military Museum. It later was used as a hair salon and church before it was bought and donated to the museum two years ago.

Organizers already started work on the building's exterior by restoring the marquee and the original brick facade, Spiers said. They also are planning a mural on the side of the building in memory of military personnel.

"After we've got all that done, we go to work on the inside. And that is going to take considerable money because we've got to redo all the heating and air and electrical and lighting and ceilings and floors," Spiers said.

The project, including new film projection equipment and a sound system, is estimated at $800,000, Spiers said. About $20,000 already has been raised.

The theater will bring more money to the downtown, and it also will give residents a bit of nostalgia, Banks said.

"It will bring back fond memories of the local people. It was a local hangout. We have many, many people who say, 'Oh yes, I remember going there.' Everybody wants to see it open again," Banks said.

Tickets to the concert are $15 and are available in advance at the Blount-Bridgers House, the military museum and the Keihin box office or at the door.

For more information, call 823-4159 or 823-0891.