Background

Why Middletown?

How did a professional theatre find a home in Middletown, Virginia, a town of 1,152 residents, according to a 2009 publication? Is there anything about this town that would give the slightest clue that it would be the home for an Equity Theatre for fifty years? Could Peter Senseny, the founder of Middletown, imagine in 1794 when he “… applied to the state General Assembly for a charter for the town he had drawn up (probably with the assistance of local clockmaker jeweler, and surveyor Jacob Danner) on land Senseney owned a few miles south of what is now Stephens City,” that someday there “would be actors from Broadway strolling its streets?” . Is there anything in the town’s long history that could possibly point in this direction?

Middletown was first called Senseny Town, as, “It was founded on a tract of land owned by Dr. Peter Senseny” . But, there are other versions of the town’s origin. A clipping from one of the Theatre’s scrapbooks suggests, “The town, from the beginning, has been called Midtown or Middletown” . This name aptly describes its location, as it is “five miles south of Newtown (now Stephens City) and five miles north of Stover Town (now Strasburg)” .

According to Cartnell’s History of Frederick County, “Middletown by 1878 was regularly incorporated and was governed by a mayor and common council …. It was during this period that the town enjoyed its most prosperous years. It was considered a manufacturing center for clocks, watches and compasses or surveyor’s instruments … as well as the first successful effort to produce a machine to thresh wheat.” Despite the creation of this labor-saving device, records indicate that “The machine was so successful that the farmers were suspicious of it” .

During the flourishing “Middletown Boom” in the late 1800s, a suburb was laid out west of the town to accommodate the growing population. “But something happened — somebody pricked the bubble and the boom was over” . Additional growth did not take place, and it is felt by some that the town has never completely recovered.

Today, Middletown contains residences of varying architectural styles and ages, some shops, and two new businesses: a Dollar General on Main Street and a MacDonald’s located outside the town at exit 302 of Interstate 81. There are a couple of historical landmarka, “In addition to the Wayside Inn, one of the town’s oldest building is the St. Thomas Chapel, now a non-denominational chapel, dating from 1836. South of the town is an historic plantation where a stately house, known as Belle Grove, dating back to the mid-1790s, sits boldly on the rollling Virginia landscape” . While not an “industry” as such, the Lord Fairfax Community College, should be included, as its student population brings many people to Middletown. Located just beyond the town’s nothern boundary, this two-year institution could be considered the town’s biggest industry due to the size of its student enrollment.

Despite this small-town environment, Wayside Theatre gave Middletown its largest influx of visitors by attracting people from an approximate 100 mile radius, who would otherwise have had no other reason to stop. What was the draw of this theatre nestled in a fairly rural setting? Was it the assurance of seeing first-class performances? Former Artistic Director, Gerry Slavet, expressed his amazement at the quality of the theatre’s productions, when he referred to Wayside as the “Theatre in the Wild” . Slavet stated in another interview, “We shouldn’t be here! It’s unheard of to have this kind of professionalism and talent from the major centers like New York, Washington, the West Coast in Middletown” . Others refered to Middletown as “a magical place, a theatrical oasis in the middle of nowhere” . A guest director for Wayside’s 1985 season commented, “I think it’s a small miracle. You’re in the middle of the countryside with the cows and yet the theatre is quite good” . Another writer, in describing Wayside, refers to it as “the vest-pocket theatre” with a seating capacity of about 260 people, and a “balcony that extends over most of the main floor” . When the twenty-fifth anniversary was observed, one writer referred to the Theatre as “ ‘the little dinosaur’ … a success in an area with few other attractions” .

Despite its rural location, Wayside was very active for fifty years, providing professional theatrical entertainment while overcoming many hardships, most of which were financial. It worked hard to remain a vital and valid theatrical organization with one single goal: that of producing quality, professional theatre in the Shenandoah Valley. And, this it did with great success.

But, in the middle of the 2013 season, all of this was cut short due to lack of funds, coupled with the prospect of being unable to correct the financial abyss into which it had fallen. The Theatre’s doors were closed. Middletown lost one of its star attractions, and the vision of the town’s founder was snuffed out. Therefore, in the light of Wayside Theatre’s wonderful history, it is imperative that some type of chronicle be compiled to celebrate its amazing years.

The answer to the question, “Why Middletown?” is best explained by a chance encounter of a Washington businessman who passed through Middletown and caught sight of an old building. The rest is history.

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Leo and The Inn

Early in the twentieth century, a Middletown resident describes the sleepy town’s main thoroughfare as follows: “Along with residences that line the street today, there were numerous businesses …, an ice cream store that had a soda fountain, a blacksmith’s shop, the Middletown Movie Theatre, a restaurant, the Middletown State Bank (now the location of Nana’s Irish Pub, formerly the The Irish Isle), and several grocery and dry-good stores, including Herbert Rhodes Dry Goods, Parker’s Store, Doug Edmondson’s Dry Goods, and Little & Larrick Grocery Store” (McCarty. TWS. Undated). Certainly not a booming metropolis, but certainly not a dead one. Not mentioned in the above list were two very obvious landmarks. At Middletown’s single traffic light, located at the intersection of Main Street (Route 11) and First Street, stands the imposing, historic Wayside Inn. Since 1797, the Inn hosted travelers who traversed this major north-south artery. Just one block south of the Inn is the town’s other major landmark, The Wayside Theatre. Despite the gap in their dates, 1797 for the Inn, and the 1960s for the Theatre, there is a close connection between these two buildings. In the early 1960s, neither the Inn nor the town were in a thriving state. “If the Inn was in bad shape,” states one source, “Middletown itself was not the picture of health. Unemployment was a significant problem, the only sanitation facilities were septic tanks and outhouses and the population count hadn’t changed appreciably in decades. The town had stopped on dead center, one resident recalls.” It was into this rather stagnant environment that Leo Bernstein stumbled, and his action became “a sort of catalyst to community development” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn Gives ….” TWP. 10 Apr. 1969). Some improvements in the town were already taking place before Bernstein’s arrival on the scene. Some residents felt that these changes in the community were the result of what was taking place at the Inn. It is not clear which came first. Leo Bernstein “is quick to point out that these signs of future prosperity were not his doing alone.” While this may have been the case, one cannot cannot deny that, “It is apparent … that [Bernstein] at least got the movement started.” Other Middletown residents feel that his purchase of the Inn provided the stimulus for the town council to seek a grant to cover the cost for a local sewer system. Archie J. Manuel, the mayor of Middletown at the time, says of Bernsetin, “He’s really been a big help to Middletown. I respect his knowledge of business and I respect him” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” TWP. 10 Apr. 1969). Some of the residents expressed their approval of Bernstein’s purchase of the Inn and his plan to revitalize it. One report states, “Gene T. Dicks, mayor of the town, is enthusiastic about Bernstein’s work and plans” (“Small Town Catches …” TWP. 24 Feb. 1962). But, not everyone in Middletown felt that this purchase by an outsider had been a positive move. Some in the community objected to Bernstein’s “interference and throwing his money around.” Yet, even these doubters had to acknowledg that “change is always difficult” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969). The history of the Wayside Inn is long, colorful, and well established. No less colorful is the story of the Inn’s acquisition by the Washington DC banker/real estate magnate, Leo Bernstein. Basically, the story states that Bernstein was returning from a business trip in one of the Carolinas and heading to his home in Washington, DC. As he drove through Middletown, he caught sight of the Inn, turned around after passing it, went in for a meal, and ended up purchasing the property that very day! There are several versions to this story along with a variety of dates as to the date this transaction took place. One tells of Leo Bernstein, returning to DC after a meeting in 1959, sees the Inn and falls in love with it, and purchases it. (The Shenandoah Free Press. 19 Nov. 1986). Another recounts the event in the jargon of a town native. “A stranger with DC plates on his Cadillac drove slowly through town on Rte 11 one day in May, 1960, seemed to hesitate when he passed the Wayside Inn, turned around in a service station driveway and then pulled into the Inn’s parking lot” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969). Still, a different date for this incident is found in a Winchester paper that states, “[…] fifteen years ago (1961) Leo saw the inn and signed the contract ‘then and there’ ” … with the agreement with the owner Mrs. Genarro [Gertrude F. Jeannaro] to “let her have what was in it.” (Burke, S. “He Came, Bought an Old Inn.” WES. 20 Jan. 1976). The records found among the Leo Bernstein papers held at the Jewish Historical Society in Washington, DC, adds still more confusion. In response to a question, the JHS archivist replied, “a Washington Post newspaper article written in the 1980s about the Inn, and a Wayside Inn newspaper called the Wayside InnQuirer, published circa 1966, both give the dates (for the purchase) as May 1961 … while an undated oral history transcript done by Leo … gives the date as 1957, quoting Bernstein as saying, ‘when I was 42’ ” (Turman. Email, 2015). Despite the variations in the date as to when this transaction took place, 1957, 1959, 1960, or 1961, the proprty records show that Bernstein purchased the Inn on June 8, 1961 (Frederick County Court House). It is the general consensus that the Inn was definitely not in perfect physical condition at the time of the purchase. One description of the property goes so far as to say that it was “… in shambles. It had no heating system and business was terrible” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr. 1969). Purchasing a property in such a state of disrepair illustrates the confidence and the vision the buyer had for this property, and confirms Bernstein’s reputation as an entrepreneur in the world of real estate. Bernstein’s purchase of the Wayside Inn was a monumental event for Middletown. One headline calls the acquisition a major coup, stating, “A tiny Virginia town with an historic inn is getting a shot of private-capital adrenalin from a Washington financier. The town is Middletown (pop. 386) and the ‘doctor’ is Leo M. Bernstein.” The purpose of this acquisition, writes the unnamed author, was to make Middletown “a stopping-off place for tourists attracted to the Nation’s Capital and all parts of Virginia” (“Small Town Catches ….” TWP. 24 Feb. 1962). Another source suggests that Bernstein might have had a long-range plan when he acquired the Inn, which was “… to convert an old movie house into a theatre for summer stock” (Blackwell. “Wayside Inn ….” 10 Apr, 1969). The almost exact wording is used by another reporter, noting that Bernstein had “A plan […] to convert an old movie house into a theater for summer stock” (“Small Town Catches ….” TWP ). Could it have been possible that, when Bernstein passed through Middletown on his way to DC, he noticed that there were two buildings in need of attention -- a theatre and an Inn that were separated by only a single block? Driving north, he would first have passed the movie house, that had been closed since 1958, before approaching the historic Inn. Wile driving the short distance between the two buildings, could the idea have materialized that by connecting the two, a profitable venture could be created that would be a way to increase the tourist trade in this vicinity? One can only wonder. Despite the confusing accounts found in various sources, as of June 1961, the Inn was now under new ownership, and an imaginative entrepreneur was about to work his magic.

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From Movie House to Theatre

By contrast, the history of the abandoned movie theatre that became the home of the Wayside Theatre is not quite as colorful. Records dating to 1797 show that a store and tavern once stood where the Theatre is located. In the latter 1800s, the Danner Hotel, also called the “old Hotel,” occupied one portion of the property, the other half was called the Storehouse. From 1906, the building was rented to a variety of tenants: housing the Town Hall and jail, a general store, and other businesses.out until destroyed by fire in 1941 (Jones, G. from “The First Tavern.” Undated.) Records show that the former building had been divided into three businesses: Little & Larrick’s Store managed by Dorothy Larrick and Arthur Tevault; a restaurant belonging to Ed Goode, and another store owned by Ed Sperry. After the 1941 fire, the lot remained empty until 1944, when the property was purchased by Herschel C. Borden, who erected a new building on the site, feeling that a movie theatre would be good addition for the population of Middletown. After the completion of the new building, Borden “lived in an apartment on the second floor for several years” (Robbins. “Little Dinosaur ….”TWS. 15 Feb. 1986). This new structure was also divided into three sections: a movie theatre, a pharmacy, and a store that was managed by J. C. Borden. The second floor housed an apartment located in the back portion of the building, that would later be used as theatre rehearsal space and, in more recent years, as the Theatre’s costume shop. Beyond this area was a porch with steps leading down to the ground, where a paint-deck was located when the building was transformed into a theatre. The front part of the second floor was the location of the law office for Bob O’Neil, and later became an apartment for a family of three. In later years, this section was altered and served as the Theatre’s administrative offices. From 1959 – 1962, the ground floor space that had been the pharmacy became the home of Middletown’s town government, including the police department (Savaiano. Interview. 1 Sept. 2009). The basement area of the building also went through various transformations. Prior to the time of the Theatre, one section was a barber shop, complete with a barber pole that hung outside the door. Some people recall a betting parlor located here, “where not quite legal wagers were placed … on the Races … that were run at nearby Charles Town, West Virginia” (Lickson, The Lure and Lore of the Wayside Theatre). Others recall a Winchester lady, usually drunk, who rented a section of the basement for a beauty shop until she disappeared in 1962. Each of these separate areas in the basement had outside entrances that opened on to Second Street. When the Theatre took over the building, the first door of the basement served as the entrance to the costume shop, the second door was for prop storage, and the third door was for storage of scenery that was not being used. Due to the lack of adequate storage space, some scenery was stored in buildings located outside of Middletown, where one of these buildings had been a chicken coop that had never been cleaned out! (Stern. Interview. 7 Feb. 2011). Joe Dwyer purchased the building in 1959, and is said to have sold the theatre seats, as well as all the projection equipment for viewing films to various movie theatres in the area. An undated notice states that when The Opera House in Berryville, formerly known as Pitts Clarco Theatre was undergoing a remodeling, the old seats and projectors were replace by newer seats and projectors purchased a few years earlier from the Wayside (Movie) Theater in Middletown. (“Out of the Past.” TWS. 22 July 2013). The installation of the seats into the Berryville space would have taken place around 1961 or 1962, when the Middletown theatre was closed and before Bernstein purchased it. Some sources erroneously state that films were shown in the Middletown building until 1962, but records indicate this was not the case. Dwyer remained the owner of the building until Berntein purchased it on 22 February 1962. Two small buildings, both painted red, were located at the rear of the Theatre. The concrete-block structure had been a dry-cleaning establishment at one time. Theatre staff, who had worked at Wayside in the early years, will recall this building as the scene shop. Also located behind the theatre was a tiny frame building, which was nick-named The Love Shack. This small structure had an interesting history in itself serving at one time as a residence for staff and actors, and later as a storage place for scenery. Both of these structures were torn down in 2005 when the Theatre’s ill-fated expansion campaign was begun.