Long before the current incarnation of the Turnage Theatre in downtown Washington was restored and reopened, its predecessor occupied the second floor of that same building.

As a matter of fact, it’s still there.

The original Turnage Theatre opened in 1913 and was host to traveling vaudeville shows, drawing in audiences from throughout Beaufort County and surrounding areas. It became a movie theater years later, according to the Turnage web site, but with the arrival of “talkies,” motion pictures with soundtracks, a problem developed. It seemed that traffic noises from Main Street made it difficult for moviegoers to hear the dialogue. So owner C.A. Turnage built a new theater downstairs, set back from the street and far removed from distractions.

The original theater was closed up and left to the elements. Time hasn’t been kind to the old theater.

“There are some structural issues like roofing joists, but it’s not beyond repair,” said Turnage tech director Stuart Lannon of the roughly 10,000-square-foot space overlooking Main Street. “This building is over 100 years old, so it’s going to have some work that needs to be done.”

Treasures abound in the second story theater. To the untrained eye, there appears to be an abundance of dust and rubbish. Lannon, however, pointed out pieces of a counterweight system that was used to move scenery when the theater featured live performances.

“The one that is still up there isn’t in usable condition, but it is one of three left in the country from what my research tells me,” Lannon noted.

Nearby, a vintage movie projector is a relic from the days when the Turnage featured silent films on the big screen.

“It’s an old silent film projector commonly used from around 1910 through the late 1920s,” Lannon said.

There has been some discussion of cleaning the projector and putting it on display downstairs in the current theater, he added. Along with a state of the art theater downstairs, the Turnage now includes a gift shop as well as headquarters for Arts of the Pamlico.

Tangible evidence of the theater’s past isn’t all that occupies the second floor.

“I’ve heard local legends that a projectionist hanged himself but I’ve found no evidence of that,” Lannon said. “I have had a few incidents up there; I never believed in ghosts until I started working here.”

Late one night after a show, Lannon trekked upstairs to the old theater in order to turn off the Turnage marquee lights.

“I looked up and there was someone grasping the banister of the balcony and peering down at me,” he recalled. “There was no way anyone could have gotten up to that balcony. I nearly broke my neck getting out of there.”

Another time, Lannon was navigating a downstairs hallway that leads to the staircase upstairs. There was no breeze, but suddenly a door just a few feet away slammed shut violently.

“I can take a hint,” Lannon said with a laugh. “I was gone and the lights stayed on all night.”

Ghostly tales aside, a seed has been planted in the minds of Turnage staff and supporters. They hope to see the old vaudeville theater serve a useful purpose again.

“We are looking for funding to renovate it,” Lannon said. “We’d like to make space for classrooms and have a multi-purpose space up there for rent, possibly use it for wedding receptions.”

For more information about the Turnage Theatre and Arts of the Pamlico, visit www.artsofthepamlico.org.