Community bands together to save landmark - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Community bands together to save landmark

By: Kate Pabich
kpabich@cbs4qc.com

A small Iowa town is coming together to save a local landmark. The nearly century old movie theater is home to the state's longest running film festival.

The Hardacre Theater in Tipton, has been around since the 1920's, but now it's become too expensive for one family to run.

For the past 40 years the Cook's have owned the Hardacre Theater. Raising their kids to man ticket booths and candy counters. Virginia Cook remembers long lines forming outside.

"I remember when Gone With The Wind was on and the line was lined up clear around the block to get to Gone With The Wind."

But as the times have changed, so has technology. And Virginia Cook says keeping the theater up to date is too costly. When community members learned the switch from film to digital could shut The Hardacre down they got to work, by forming the Hardacre Theater Preservation Association.

The paperwork was signed today, now the non-profit has less than a year to save the home of Iowa's largest film festival that brings filmmakers in from all over the world.

But if for some reason the Preservation Association can't come up with the money, the festival's director says they'll do everything they can to keep it in Tipton.

If the association can raise the funds the theater will switch hands on October 1st 2012.