Millsboro in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Ball Theatre/Millstone Theatre

214 Main Street

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 19, 2023

1. Ball Theatre / Millstone Theatre Marker

Inscription. This property has been
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list.

Location. 38° 35.462′ N, 75° 17.488′ W. Marker is in Millsboro, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is on Main Street (Delaware Route 24) just north of East Church Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is mounted above eye-level at the theatre front entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 214 Main Street, Millsboro DE 19966, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Delaware’s Beaches.

It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds

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itself in what was once New Netherland,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Ableman Homestead (within shouting distance of this marker); Millsboro's Oldest Commercial Structure: The Benjamin Burton Store, a part of the town's history (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Home of John J. Williams (about 400 feet away); Grace United Methodist Church (about 500 feet away); Saint Mark's Episcopal Church (about 600 feet away); Home of Richard S. Cordrey (approx. 0.2 miles away); Askekesky (approx. ¼ mile away); Indian River Hundred (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Millsboro.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Ableman Homestead (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . .
1. Ball Theatre.

The Ball Theatre, also known as the Millstone Theatre, is a historic movie theater located in Millsboro, Delaware. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

(Submitted on May 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Ball Theatre.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 19, 2023

2. Ball Theatre / Millstone Theatre Marker

(marker is mounted high on left door of front entrance)

The Ball Theatre was opened prior to 1941, and was still operating in 1950.

(Submitted on May 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Defunct movie theater may come back to life in Millsboro, offering a taste of the 1930s.

(From Delmarva Now, 3/28/2018.) “Walter (Huck) Betts, former pitcher for Philadelphia and Boston of the National League is the operator of a new theater here,” said a Millsboro-datelined story in the July 28, 1938, issue of The Pittsburgh Press. When it opened in 1937, the new red brick movie theater had 478 seats, a balcony, a concession stand and a stage for live performances. The Ball Theatre closed in 1971 and has not been used for entertainment since, although the United Faith Church of Deliverance has held services in a small portion of the building. The seats on the sloped main floor and balcony are intact. Interior walls feature the original art deco lighting. The original spotlights — to illuminate the 14-foot stage — are still mounted on the upstairs balcony railing. The theater still has the original “air conditioning” system which, in reality, involved dry ice and a huge
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 19, 2023

3. Ball Theatre / Millstone Theatre (west/front elevation)
fan.

(Submitted on May 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 412 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A link to the National Register nomination form, citing the building’s historical significance • Can you help?