The Jefferson Drive-in
The Jefferson Drive-In
in Dallas should be gone by now. I took these photos just after an article appeared
in the Dallas paper in early 2004 that what was left of the Jefferson would soon
be demolished. The Jefferson had are really unique art-decoish look. I'm not sure
the build date of the Jefferson but it might be the late 1940s. The sight was
occupied by some type of trucking company for years. It was pretty surprising
that the screen and marquee stayed up as long as it did. The marquee sheetmetal
was still in fair shape although the neon was all gone. The last trip I made to
the site I found the marquee gone. I wonder if someone salvaged it. The screen
and everthing was still there but the marquee was gone and the poles were cut
off at ground level.
This is looking east
from the entry drive back toward the screen. The surrounding fences and ticket
booth were still intact. I wouldn't have taken much to get the place back in operation.
Here are the entry
gates and ticket booth. Still in fair condition.
This shot was taken
from the exit drive looking back toward the screen. Notice all the trucks in front
of the screen. The projection surface of the screen was still in decent shape.
The wacky art-decoish
Jefferson vertical pylon of the screen. Notice the far-out scroll sheetmetal thing
at the top. The channel letters were still in decent shape. All the neon tubing
was gone though. The screen had a huge animated neon mural. The mural had been
painted over to match the rust red color of the rest of the screen for some reason.
The mural featured a band playing and people dancing. Most of the red paint had
peeled off over the years and some of the mural could be seen. At the bottom of
the mural I would make out a kettle drum with a figure hitting it with drum stick.
I could also see a figure playing a horn and a couple dancing. There were hundereds
of holes all over the mural for neon tubes. That must have been quite neon job.
I would love to have seen it in operation. I wonder if the old neon light controller
was still up in the screen. See close-up shot of the mural below.
Varioius Jefferson Pics.
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Any Thumbnail To See A Larger Photo.
This is looking east
from the entry drive back toward the screen. The surrounding fences and ticket
booth were still intact. I wouldn't have taken much to get the place back in operation.
Here are the entry
gates and ticket booth. Still in fair condition. 
This shot was taken
from the exit drive looking back toward the screen. Notice all the trucks in front
of the screen. The projection surface of the screen was still in decent shape.
The wacky art-decoish
Jefferson vertical pylon of the screen. Notice the far-out scroll sheetmetal thing
at the top. The channel letters were still in decent shape. All the neon tubing
was gone though. The screen had a huge animated neon mural. The mural had been
painted over to match the rust red color of the rest of the screen for some reason.
The mural featured a band playing and people dancing. Most of the red paint had
peeled off over the years and some of the mural could be seen. At the bottom of
the mural I would make out a kettle drum with a figure hitting it with drum stick.
I could also see a figure playing a horn and a couple dancing. There were hundereds
of holes all over the mural for neon tubes. That must have been quite neon job.
I would love to have seen it in operation. I wonder if the old neon light controller
was still up in the screen. See close-up shot of the mural below.
