By Betsy Brewer Brantner
Contributing Writer

There are plenty of reasons to visit downtown Oxford—new shops, the weekly Oxford Village Market, art exhibits, apparel shops, and much more. But soon there could be an important addition that will make Oxford a regular destination.

Community leaders have long wanted to bring a theater to Oxford, and tremendous progress was being made at the time a raging fire destroyed three buildings in the heart of the downtown in September of 2023. The fire delayed the theater project, but it has not stopped it.

Oxford Mainstreet Incorporated (OMI) has been working on the revitalization of the downtown by renovating the space at 21 South Third Street. In April 2022, OMI was a recipient of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project Grant in the amount of $2,144,166. This sum of money was a game-changer for the Theatre and Oxford as a whole. While the entire project is expected to cost over twice the awarded amount, it’s a huge step forward and OMI is so thankful to those folks who helped make it happen. 

But the mission took a dramatic turn in September of 2023, when the historic building was tragically lost to a fire. In the aftermath, OMI rallied to not only preserve the memories of the past, but to reimagine a future filled with possibility. The theatre project marks a significant chapter in OMI’s ongoing story of community revitalization and commitment to the arts.

Liz McGill explained, “Step into the future of arts in Chester County at the Oxford Theatre, soon to be rising from the site of our community’s historical site. Our theatre is set to become a symbol of resilience and cultural renaissance in the heart of our community. We hope that the Oxford Theatre will become the go-to place in southern Chester County for live shows, movies, musical performances, children’s theatre, lectures, corporate conferences, and much more.”

McGill continued,“Besides the $2.1 million grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, the Wilson King family donated the property for the project and we are in the beginning stages of civil engineering. We have received generous donations from the Oxford Area Foundation and the James S. Herr Foundation. We have preliminary plans for the project which will seat 275 people for live theatre and movies. We are in the early stages of kicking off our campaign to raise more money, which we know will get the community involved.”

They will also have a 50-person black box theatre, which is a flexible space for live performances like comedy shows or poetry readings, as well as for private events and for educational presentations.

“We will be fundraising through September 10. This campaign is both a naming opportunity and a community fundraiser to support our branding and web design. We’re encouraging folks to contribute what they can when making a selection. Every dollar helps us build momentum and raise the curtain in Oxford again,” she said.

McGill added, “We encourage people to follow along on social media, sign up for our newsletter and email [email protected]  if they would like to get involved.”

People have the opportunity to suggest a name for the Oxford Theatre or choose from the top three finalists:

The Hive: A nod to Oxford’s Hornet pride… a buzzing place where creativity gathers and energy thrives.

The Pearl: A symbol of transformation… born from pressure, time, and perseverance into something rare and beautiful.

Theatre on 3rd: Simple, bold, and rooted in place. A name that says it all.

You can follow this link for name selection and donations:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/ce2d52cc-3689-472d-85d6-8a406fe9031c

For more information on the theatre project you can follow this link:

https://linktr.ee/Oxftheatre

“We are trying to raise awareness after a lot of hard work. We are also looking for volunteers,” McGill explained.