By Stephen Smoot
Last fall, a devastating fire struck the Sunset Ellis Restaurant. Severe damage prevented the family owners from being able to continue operating either the restaurant or the adjacent drive in movie theater.
In their Sept 25 meeting, the Harrison County Commission emerged from executive session. Commissioners David Hinkle and Patsy Trecost combined to present a motion that would allow Laura Pysz-Laulis, Harrison County Administrator, to open negotiations to purchase a property on US 19 “known as the Ellis Drive In.”
The motion passed unanimously.
Late last month came the final decision to purchase the property. Commissioner David Hinkle, as he was quoted in the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram, explained that “we are going to finalize the purchase of the Ellis Drive-In property to build not only a livestock barn, but a true county park of a size that we’ve never had the ability to before and make it a great place for the people of the county to come and use.
As for the iconic drive-in theater, Commission President Susan Thomas shared with the Exponent-Telegram that “I think it would be good for the area if we could preserve a piece of the drive-in . . . and keep it going – somehow, someway.”
The Harrison County Commission’s desire to keep the theater in operation “somehow, some way” could lead to examination of a thriving non profit drive-in theater four hours away, just north of Franklin in Pendleton County.
The Warner Drive In Cultural Resource Center, also a historic venue, saw customer use of the facility skyrocket from 40 cars per showing in 2023 to an average of 86 in 2024. One night saw 178 cars on the grounds. Tourism and a strong selection of hit Hollywood movies geared toward family audiences accounted for much of the growth.
The Board of Directors of Warner’s was active in pursuing grants to upgrade its comfort facilities. It also received donations and grant funding in the past year to construct a music and theater stage in front of the movie screen. Plans for that stage, which will be ready next spring, include hosting theater productions, music festivals, and orchestral concerts.
Not unlike the Sunset Ellis did, Warner’s uses food as a draw, but in a different fashion. The Warner’s concession stand serves homemade chili made by the executive director’s mother, hamburgers, hot dogs, desserts, and painstakingly prepared, but perfect crinkle cut french fries. Board members brag that some in the area treat the concession stand as a diner and come there solely to eat.
The Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau also has promoted the drive-in as a tourism asset that helps to draw a number of visitors during peak warm weather travel periods.
With the myriad ideas and plans for turning the property into a recreational and agricultural draw, patronage of the drive-in theater by those nostalgic for the experience could help to build the proposed park into a major attraction.