The Palace Theatre has not always been the Palace Theatre. In 1912, a man named Mr. Christian built the "Majestic" where the Palace now stands. Back then Heritage Row was called Railroad Street and the first movie shown in the Majestic was Birth of a Nation.
Purchased in 1924 by J.C. Chatmas, Sr., the Majestic was is need of renovation. Because of the poor condition and the cost of renovation, Mr. Chatmas decided to tear down the old Majestic and start over. So, in 1925, the Palace Theatre was born.Movie lovers from all over Falls County thronged to the Palace which remained popular until Mr. Chatmas' death in 1966.
For 50 years the Palace never changed ownership. It remained in operation by the Chatmas family until they decided to close the doors in 1975.Five years passed, and in 1980 the Chatmas family donated the theater to the First Presbyterian Church of Marlin.Then, in 1981, the Marlin Palace Theatre Center, Inc. a non-profit corporation, was formed to care for the building.
Restoration began with necessary funds coming from a variety of programs, fund raisers and friends and patrons.More recently, roof repairs have been made, the electrical system has been updated, new seating has been installed and improvements have been made to the audio and lighting systems.Today the Palace Theatre is used for stage productions, dinner theaters, concerts, recitals, style shows, and movies.
The seating capacity of the Palace Theatre is 350.