COUNTY LIFE
Bringing a dream to life – Vision centers on creating a movie theater in an 1884 bank building
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By BARBARA GREEN
Mark Chancellor, at the age of 30, calls himself an “old soul.”
His career as a lighting designer may have him on the cutting edge of music, but he wants to bring back a historic building back to life by creating a movie theater right in the heart of Montague.
This summer Chancellor bought the former First National Bank of Montague on the southwestern corner of the courthouse square in Montague. It was built in 1884.
After the bank closed, it was later home to Bell Phone, Carminati Grocery and Prime Cut Steakhouse. This dilapidated structure will demand a complete overhaul to fulfill this unique vision for its future.
The dreamer
Mark Chancellor grew up in the Alvord area with his parents Charles and Marsha Chancellor. His father was a Dallas firefighter, who when he retired became an electrician. He now resides in Bowie.
Mark’s parents divorced when he was young, and he spent summers with his dad in the Bowie area. He attended high school one year in Alvord and then completed high school in Dallas. After graduating from a Dallas arts school and McMurray University, he pursued a career in lighting design that has led him around the world.
The location
Moving into this next phase of his life, Chancellor began looking for the right building. It had to be at least two stories in order to provide a balcony, but he also wanted “A building with the right story.”
He checked out the old theater building in Bowie, but it didn’t have the right historic fit.
He also looked at the city auditorium in Bowie, but could not work a deal. Chancellor also was solicited by other locals who would love to have the theater in their town. However, the right building “did not speak to him “until he checked out a run down mess of a property in Montague.
Read the full feature in your weekend News.
COUNTY LIFE
Bowie, Nocona libraries wrap up summer reading this week
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Local libraries wrap up their children’s summer reading programs this week.
The Bowie Public Library brings the popular Creature Teacher with all their spectacular animals for the final event on July 23 at the Bowie Community Center.
The program begins at 10 am. The children also will receive their prize books for their summer logs.
The Nocona Public Library ends its program at 10 a.m. on July 24 at the H.J. Justin Building at 100 Clay Street. The program will be “Our Own Action Heroes -” Nocona fire, police and EMTs.
Top photo – Smokey Bear visiting Bowie last week at summer reading.
COUNTY LIFE
Color added to outside kennels at Bowie Animal Shelter
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DSC_0081.jpg)
Rachel and Roger Whitaker gave this metal storage container a fresh look with this colorful mural at the Bowie Animal Shelter. (Photo by Barbara Green)
COUNTY LIFE
Youngsters attend swimming lessons this week
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DSC_0115-scaled.jpg)
Swim lessons for youngsters of all ages were conducted the past two weeks at the city pool. It was a good place to be during this summer heat. See more photos in the weekend News. (Photos by Barbara Green)
![](https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jumping-off-the-board-970x1024.jpg)
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