Our Story
It starts with one and then just a few before it all starts to happen.
One dream, two brothers, opening a theater that would bring a few more, becoming a community hub for all in a vibrant downtown. One decade becomes two, and a few more, before it’s almost forgotten. One day, one glimpse captures the attention of two local guys, who dream up a few ideas that turn into an all out commitment for renewal that can’t be stopped. One year, two years, and then just a few more, and all their hard work begins to get noticed. One call, two generations responding, bringing a few resources, establishing a foundation to see it all through. One donation becomes two, and then just a few more, fulfilling all that it will take. One historic preservation, that sparks two and three and a few more new openings, bringing all new life to a community downtown.
It starts with one, then two, and then just a few, that make anything happen for all...
1939-1979
For 50 years, the Palace Theater was the hub of Main Street, Downtown McComb.
It started with a literal dream that became a reality when two brothers, Najeeb and Haleem Solomon, took half their store and made it into a movie theater, which would become the iconic Palace Theater.
For fifty years, this was the place to be. If the latest feature film didn’t draw people in, the irresistible smell of the popcorn surely did. Nearly fifty years later, all that glory is held in the memories of those who lived it. First job. First date. First kiss. And all the magic that followed.
Like many downtowns throughout the US, downtown McComb stopped growing. The Palace closed, the building was donated, and it sat vacant for most of the course of the four decades that followed. Falling into serious disrepair, it became an eyesore - nothing more than a rundown backdrop for the generations to come.
Until one day, when two local guys stumbled on to an all new possibility that had been hiding in plain sight...
With a love for music, entertainment, and their hometown of McComb, Jamey and Jason started drawing up plans, took ownership of the building, and got to work on an all new possibility for McComb. There were plenty of surprises including termites and pigeons. Structural engineering, masonry re-pointing, and installation of a dozen thirty-foot steel beams and a brand new roof were foundational. Jamey and Jason worked on rehabilitating the Palace with their own hands, stretching the impact of a handful of donations and help from other local skilled craftsmen.
And then they got a lot more help. Just in time, another McComb native stepped in to help take this project all the way to the finish line. Gary Solomon, Sr., who was in eighth grade when his family left McComb and moved to New Orleans, was looking for an opportunity to give back to McComb. “All our family values came from McComb. Our whole life was there.” So it was natural that Gary, Sr. and his siblings would want to make a real difference in McComb. He immediately brought in a few needed resources and ideas, starting with the award winning Eskew+Dumez+Ripple Architects.
And most importantly, the Solomon Family created the Palace Theater Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established to preserve this historic landmark into perpetuity and expand preservation in service of McComb.
READY FOR THE FUTURE…
What’s possible for the historic Palace Theater? It is a flexible, multi purpose community venue designed for the people, businesses, and organizations of the community to use. Which means more events, activities, and reasons to visit Downtown McComb. That’s good news for the restaurants and local businesses who are already established here. And it creates new opportunity for the establishments who will open up next.
People will plan and host their own special events close to home - inviting even more of our friends and family to return to McComb for weddings, reunions, and those most important events that mark the milestones of our lives.
The Palace Theater, restored in all its glory, will serve the community that supported it for half a century. And at the same time, this active historic landmark will be monumental in paving the way for new development and expanded preservation. This is the start of a whole new future for McComb: A downtown revitalization right here at home.
“The Palace Theater Project is a perfect example of the type of business we hope to attract to the district... With this new economic growth, McComb will experience a rebirth in its downtown district.”
- Quordiniah N. Lockley, Mayor, City of McComb City