FIRST -- Suburban movie theatre in Texas, Highland Park TX
N 32° 50.156 W 096° 48.322
14S E 705412 N 3635232
Several plaques clustered together on the south side of the central building in the Highland Park Village shopping center attest to the history of this high-end shopping destination.
Waymark Code: WMP4YV
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/01/2015
Views: 1
There are actually two firsts at Highland Park Village shopping center. It is not only the first modern shopping center, it is also home of the first suburban movie theater in Texas.
Several plaques attest to the history of this place. The waymarked plaque discussing the Village Theater is the newest of all the plaques at this location, having been installed in 2013.
That plaque reads as follows:
"Highland Park Village
Highland Park Village is located on land that was originally part of the Cole family farm, and later became Henry Exall’s wheat field. As the town of Highland Park grew, its developers, Hugh Prater and Edgar Flippin, decided to create a town square for the community. Seeking inspiration for the Spanish-Mediterranean style, they traveled with their architects, Marion Foshee and James Cheek, to the 1929 Barcelona World's Fair, as well as to Mexico and California.
When it opened in 1931, the only tenants were a gas station on Preston Road and the block of shops of the Southwest corner of the center. The Village is recognized as the first planned shopping center with a unified style and stores facing interior parking. The Village Theater was opened by Karl Hoblitzelle in 1935, and was the first suburban movie theater in Texas. Completed in 1947, the village is today one of the most exclusive shopping centers in the country. November 10, 2013"
FIRST - Classification Variable: Item or Event
Date of FIRST: 01/01/1935
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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