Temple Theater

It was 1905 that the residents of Perry first received electric service. In that year, The Perry Ice & Power Company was organized and owned by Major Faulkner and Messrs, Stanford and Owens. In 1907 this business became bankrupt and service was temporarily discontinued. J. H. Scales and D. G. Malloy took over the company in 1908 and formed the Perry Electric Company.

In 1911 Major George E. Porter assumed control of the Perry Electric Company which was serving 52 customers. J. D. Scruggs was named general manager in 1913 and many improvements were made and its customers grew to approximately 325. On July 1, 1925, The Perry Electric Company was succeeded by the Taylor County Power Company, controlled and operated by General Utilities and Operating Company of Baltimore.

George Porter was a native of Arkansas and he married Miss Martha Ellen Bradford a native of Mississippi and they spent most of their lives in Florida. They were the parents of two children: Kay and George Jr.

The Porter family came to Perry from Live Oak and they assumed control of the Perry Electric Company. The company consisted of Major Porter, J. D. Scruggs, Dr. J. L. Weeks and Edward Porter. After the sale of the company, George entered into the theater business. In 1921 George bought the Princess Theater. In 1923 the Masonic Lodge build a three story building with the Temple Theater owned by Porter, occupying the ground floor. Besides the Temple Theater on the square, he operated the Foley Theater and one in Brooklyn section of Perry.

In 1945 the Masonic building was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt with only two floors.

At an unknown time (possibly at the death of his father George in 1960) Kay became owner and manager of the George E. Porter Theater Enterprises founded by his father. Kay added a drive-in theater on south US19 called the Community Drive-In Theater. As the community of Foley began to wind down the Foley Theater closed. Also unknown time the Community Drive In closed, it is my guess that the widening of US19 might have spelled the demise of this attraction or possibly the advent of television. Some time before the final fire the Temple Theater was sold to Dave Harris. In 1976 the Masonic building suffered a second fire which destroyed most of the equipment used in showing movies and it was decided not to reopen the theater.