The Building and Lot 5
The site that houses the Wayside Theatre has had its share of
colorful history. Earliest recorded deeds list the first transfer of the property on
October 2, 1797 to John and Elizabeth Campbell. They in turn deeded the property to a
Charlotte and Francis T. Mastin in 1804 who continued the store and a tavern, operations
most likely started by the Campbells. The property changed hands often in the early
1800's, eventually ending up in the hands of Jacob Hoffman. When Hoffman sold the lot in
1840, it was completed as two different transactions, essentially subdividing the lot. The
half sold to Thomas Sperry was referred to as the Storehouse and the other half was sold
to Baylis Grigsby as the tavern house, stables and icehouse. In 1842 the Sperry's conveyed
the storehouse lot to David S. Danner to resolve financial difficulties. In 1846 bad debts
surfaced for Mr. Grigsby and a special commissioner conveyed the tavern property to David
Danner's younger brother, Jacob. The older Danner brother also ran into bad financial
times and sold his share of the original Lot 5 to his younger brother Jacob later that
year, reuniting the original property under one owner again.
Jacob Danner operated a store and tavern on the property for
the rest of his life and The Danner Hotel is frequently mentioned in references about the
area. When the property was disposed of as a part of Danner's estate in 1882, it was again
divided into two parcels. The Storehouse was conveyed to Danner's son-in-law David Harris,
and the "old Hotel" to local businessman William H. Dinges. The Storehouse
property remained in the Harris family until it was deeded to the Middletown Fire Company
in 1947, six years after the 1941 fire that destroyed the building. The oldest section of
the current volunteer fire department is now on this section of the lot.
Prior to selling the "old Hotel" property in 1903
to Albert F. Saum, Dinges rented it to G. W. Hoenshel, who operated The Shenandoah Normal
College. The Saum's sold the property to H. C. Borden in 1906, who rented the building out
until the fire in 1941 that destroyed the building. During this period the building housed
a variety of tenants, including the Town Hall and jail, a general store, a local
barbershop and other businesses. After the fire, Mr. Borden built the Middletown Movie
Theater in 1946, selling it to Leo Bernstein of the Wayside Inn in 1962, when it became
the home of the Wayside Theatre.
The Gas Light on the northeast corner of the building was
recently donated to the town of Middletown by Sheandoah Gas in honor of Mr. Borden, the
area's first natural gas customer.
Compiled from "The First Tavern" by Mr. Greg Jones,
Annandale, VA.
The Theatre Company
Wayside Theatre is the second oldest professional theatre in
Virginia. The company was born in 1962 as the Maralarrick Players. A year later, Leo
Bernstein, a Washington DC-based financier and real estate developer, bought the theatre
building and changed the name to Wayside Theatre. He hired Owen Phillips, then artistic
director of the Barter Theatre as the Wayside's first artistic director and in 1963 the
theatre began employing professional actors through Actors' Equity Association.
In 1966, Wayside Theatre was incorporated as Wayside
Foundation for the Arts, an independent non-profit organization with a Board of Directors
from surrounding communities. Among the many distinguished artists who have graced our
stage are actors Stacey Keach, Peter Boyle, Susan Sarandon, Jill Eikenberry, Kathy Bates
and Tony Award winning scenic designer John Lee Beatty.
Our current Artistic Director, Warner Crocker, succeeds
Christopher Owens, who, during his twelve-year tenure led the company's growth from a
10-week summer stock company to a seven-month regional theatre with expanding potential.
Intriguingly enough, Mr. Crocker's first acting class was taught by Mr. Owens' predecessor
as artistic director, Ed Steele.
The artists appearing come from around the
country, from New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta and beyond. Many of them award
winners, they bring extensive theatre, film and television credits to their work with us.
Each season they, like their predecessors, travel here, to the northern Shenandoah Valley,
to reside, work and craft a season of theatrical treasures for you. |
info@waysidetheatre.org
