The Lincoln Theater, located within walking distance of the Lincoln Hotel, was one of Dr. Aristotle Lorenzo Quincy Chatman’s most ambitious projects. Permits for the theater were filed in 1949, and the venue officially opened in 1951. Featuring a single film screen, a stage for live performances, and seating for 600 patrons, the Lincoln Theater became a key entertainment venue for the African American community in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Chatman invested significantly in the project, including purchasing a large neon sign for over $6,000—equivalent to approximately $61,000 today.
In addition to entertainment, the theater housed small businesses such as a barbershop, drugstore, and laundromat. The upper level served as a meeting space for civil rights leaders, playing a crucial role in organizing the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott. The success of this protest provided a model for the more famous Montgomery Bus Boycott two years later.
Following Dr. Chatman’s passing in 1961, his wife, Carrie Eulacie Shamburger Chatman, sold the theater. Despite this, it continued operations for several more decades, closing in the 1980s before briefly reopening in the 2000s. It ultimately closed again in 2007.
Restoration efforts for the Lincoln Theater have been ongoing. During the COVID-19 lockdown, mold remediation work was completed, and in July 2021, the theater’s iconic sign was removed for restoration. Full renovations are projected for completion by 2022, with plans to repurpose the venue as an African American History Museum and community center. This effort aims to preserve the theater’s legacy as a cornerstone of entertainment, activism, and economic empowerment in Baton Rouge.
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