Block 9 was an important trading area in Hallettsville as early as the 1860s, with I. Samusch operating a grocery store on the corner next to the square. In 1887 John Speary built a new rock store on Lot 7 of Block 9, and in 1888 he added a wareroom for Rosenberg Brothers general merchandise; at some point H.J. Heye of LaGrange also operated a saddle shop in the Speary Building. After Speary died in 1891, the building was leased to the New York Store in 1896, and various other businesses occupied it before the Cole Theatre moved there in 1929. The theatre had begun on the west side of the courthouse square, where in 1926 Mart Cole owned a silent movie theatre in the three-story Opera House, managed by Lillian McElroy with her sister Bunt McElroy Strole as piano player. Admission varied by day, a cash prize was awarded each Friday to the holder of the lucky number, special attractions included singer Jimmie Rogers and other Hollywood stars appearing in person, and the first sound movie, Wings, drew a full house. In 1929 the theatre moved to its present location on East Second Street and seated 700 people. Its Spanish murals were painted by A.J. Schubert, a Hallettsville native and Cole's interior decorator, who also designed theatre and stage props for the entire Cole Theatre Circuit. The theatre was remodeled after the 1940 flood, in the 1960s, and again after the flood of 1981. During the Depression and World War II, it showed newsreels of world events, and during the Allied Invasion of France, Second Street was closed in front of the theatre to handle long lines while patrons were cooled by fans blowing over blocks of ice. Its managers included Lillian McElroy, D.P. Morton, Lilah Cole, and Charlie Payne, and other employees included Louis Schott Jr., Morrow Childress, Ben Linhart, Otto Koch, Milton Laake, Al Niebler, Bea Heinzel, and Lydia Boethel. In 1982 the theatre was sold to the Cozy Theatre Circuit, and in 1993 Bill and Barbara Orsak purchased it after Bill had leased it on July 31, 1992, when it had been closed for almost 18 months. Their son Richard now owns and operates the theatre, replaced the old speakers with a sound system including Dolby Digital and DTS Digital, and added new seats, screens, a projector, and lighted aisle carpet to update the old 200-seat theatre, while Soundfold curtains cover the Spanish murals that still adorn the walls.