Rylander Theatre
Americus, Georgia

From its opening on January 21, 1921 until its closing thirty years later, The Rylander served as a civic and cultural center for the Southwest Georgia area, hosting traveling troupes and vaudevillian performers as well as musical and cinematic releases. When the City of Americus decided in 1995 that the long-vacant Rylander was worthy of restoration, Garbutt Construction’s goal was clear:

…to honor The Rylander’s past contributions
to fine arts and culture in the community by restoring it
for use as a performance auditorium.

Construction was staged from an extremely limited space, and the work to bring The Rylander back to its original glory days began. Earlier modifications that had divided the building into rented office and retail space were removed. Special attention was given to meticulous updating of plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, and safety factors to bring the building into code. Experts were located and commissioned to determine original color schemes. Artisans were hired to research and reconstruct the extensive original plaster ornamentation on the building’s interior. The result?

Forty years of damage, deterioration and neglect,
whisked away as if by magic.

But it wasn’t magic. It was experience. It was hard work. It was organization. It was knowledge. It was the attention to detail Garbutt Construction is known for that made it all possible. And in the end, not only did the people of Americus, Georgia have their theatre back—Garbutt Construction got a little something extra as well: the coveted Build Georgia Award from the Associated General Contractors of America as well as the Award of Excellence from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.