Landmark given second chance to shine

By MICHELLE MCLEAN

Michael Bishop never saw a movie at the Traill Theater — but someday the Hillsboro man plans to take his young daughter Paige to the Main Street landmark in Hillsboro for a show — and popcorn.

Its neon sign dimmed since the mid-1960s, the Traill has been given a new lease on life. Bishop and the non-profit group he created — Hillsboro Preservation Foundation — saved the 1916 brick showhouse from the wrecking ball this fall. With a helping hand from the City of Hillsboro and Traill County, HPF bought the vacant structure for less than $20 in fees. Ownership of the building had reverted to the county because of unpaid property taxes. 

Bishop, 35,  felt compelled to step in when the county hinted at demolition. The old theater needs “a complete overhaul,” Bishop said. The to-do list is substantial, starting with a new roof.

Under that new roof, Bishop envisions a place that “showcases and promotes the arts,” especially the work of local artists — whether it be a gallery show for oil paintings or a community  theater production. It will also focus on providing space and activities for young people.

The “big screen” will return and will likely offer big budget movies from Hollywood and low budget videos created by budding filmmakers. The possibilities seem endless, Bishop admits. He believes it’s a dream that the community can and will embrace.

For those who recall the colorful “nifty 50s” decor of the theater’s lobby, Bishop aims to preserve the “wow factor” of the historic building — the bright violet walls embossed with white bas relief designs, leather-covered doors, brass hinges and the round glass ticket booth.

“The outside will not change and the entry will not change,” Bishop said, vowing not to spoil the beloved theater’s mystic, just spruce it up.

He’s already had an architect “crawling around in the basement.”

“We want to see what it can become” from the ground up, Bishop said of the thorough inspection.

The initial report indicates that the foundation is sound but the roof and floor need to be replaced. Once the roof is installed (estimated to cost $25,000), a new electrical service can be installed. Then the real work can begin inside.

From his vantage point as a local businessman, Bishop knows that the project will require support from the community.

“We’re taking an old building and breathing life back into it,” he said.

“I know it’s a big task.”

Bishop believes that refurbishing the Traill must become a community project. He’s asking the community to lend a helping hand or donate to the cause — money or muscle. He has an ambitious goal of completing the project in three years. He anticipates the theater will remain under the direction of the non-profit once it is restored.

Bishop has already started fundraising. A TV raffle earlier this month generated funds for architectural fees. There will be more chances for the community to show its support of the  Traill, Bishop promised.

He knows the Traill holds fond memories for Hillsboro kids spanning several generations. A new Traill will give another generation the same chance to enjoy fun on Main Street.

Bishop is a transplant to Hillsboro, moving here in 1999 to open a chiropractic clinic with his wife Aimee Smith, who grew up near Cummings, N.D. Raised in Starkville, Miss., the jovial Southerner has since invested his pocketbook and his heart in his adopted hometown.

A year ago, Bishop and his wife bought the Hillsboro Sports Bar and Grill, located in another historic downtown building. He was originally interested in creating some office space in the upstairs of the bar but when the opportunity to purchase the entire building and the business  presented itself Bishop jumped at the chance. Never without a creative idea, Bishop still has plans for the upstairs offices, he noted.

While he’d never worked in the food and booze biz before, Bishop’s parents had been restaurant owners in the 1970s and 1980s. Willing to jump into a new business with both feet, Bishop still draws on his mother’s experiences and her advice to run his second business.

He’s learned to be a jack of all trades — bartender, custodian, host and manager — all this while maintaining and growing the couple’s practice, Hillsboro Chiropractic Clinic.

He recently started working part-time at the Hillsboro Medical Center as a CNA with the ultimate goal of training as a physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner.

As a teenager, Bishop seemed destined for a career in art. He’d earned a full scholarship to a prestigious art school in New York. A traumatic car accident derailed those plans. A brain injury altered his ability to create. As fate would have it, he didn’t lose his talent for the sciences. At his mother’s urging, he quickly shifted gears and pursued a career as a chiropractor, studying in Minneapolis, where he met Aimee.

Healthcare is his chosen profession and he intends to expand his options to work in that field.

In the meantime, Bishop refuses to be limited by a single job title. He’s invigorated by the label “entrepreneur” — it opens the doors to all sorts of opportunities, he points out.

So does he really need one more job?

The theater project does have one selfish motive, he concedes.

“I have seven years to find something for my daughter to do on a Friday night that doesn’t involve somebody’s basement,” Bishop says with a father’s protective tone. “And I’m not joking.”

So why this passion for Hillsboro?

“I’ve chosen to live here. I’ve chosen to raise my family here. This is where I earn my money to live and survive.”

“This town has a lot of untapped potential. It has so much to offer.”

Bishop sees the potential of the Traill. So do others. David and Amy Gordon, whose family formerly owned the theater, have quietly  helped Bishop take the first tentative steps toward restoration. Working with their son Ben, the Gordons have cleaned a large portion of the structure’s interior, filling four large dumpsters with debris. Bishop is calling for more volunteers to help with this phase of the renovation. He freely offers his cell phone number (430-2054) to anyone with an interest in helping in any way.

As the cleaning continues, Bishop has marveled at the small treasures he’s found. Backstage, young actors have signed their names chronicling their appearances in school plays. Bishop hopes to salvage the autographs.

While no seats remain, Bishop is toying with the idea of asking donors to buy new seats in memory of family and friends who frequented the Traill in years past.

Bishop knows he sounds like a “dreamer” but he’s not afraid to toss around ideas of “what could be.” He’s blessed, he says with a wife who’s “intelligent, practical and grounded.” They make a good pair, he estimates. She balances his dreaming with a voice of reason.

Saved from the wrecking ball, Hillsboro’s faded landmark will not be lost, Bishop is convinced. Its neon sign will shine brightly again when his dream — and a community’s wish — comes true.