This page is dedicated to Florida historical markers near DeLand First Movie House. There are many historical markers in Florida. This marker in Volusia County is an excellent example.
First Movie House
This Florida Historical Marker is entitled First Movie House circa 1907 and is located in DeLand in Volusia County, Florida. The location is 103 West Indiana Avenue. The marker is on West Indiana Avenue, west of North Woodland Boulevard (U.S. 17/92), on the right when traveling west.
Inscription on the Marker
The inscription reads:
First Movie House. circa 1907. Around 1907 V. Ward Gould and Arthur Voyle opened DeLand’s first silent movie business here. They rigged up a projection booth with straight-backed chairs for the audience and sheeting for a screen and hired a pianist to furnish the music. The film was hand-cranked, and its speed was regulated by the operator. Film breaks were to be expected. Any movie with a railroad train in it or fire apparatus running to a fire was popular. But perhaps the peak of entertainment was reached when the film operator, well-noted for “tipping the jug” while at work, ran the film backward with unexpected results. It was a comedy hit! Admission: 10 cents.
Marker Sponsor and Install Date for First Movie House
Placed by the West Volusia Historical Society.
Maps & Location Views
Using mapping services from Google, we can show detailed location maps and street views if they are available.
Sometimes you will be able to see the First Movie House Marker in Google Maps. A 360-degree view of the area near the marker is available on the link below. You can see the marker or monument and read it in many cases.
The History of DeLand

More than a century before the Pilgrims set foot at Plymouth Rock, in 1513, Florida began its modern-day history, of which Orlando is a part.
During this period, Florida was still part of the United States Territory and not yet a state; therefore, many Native American tribes occupied land throughout Central Florida, including Seminole Indians who had migrated there from Georgia during the First Seminole War (1817-1818).
In 1838, the U.S. Army built Fort Gatlin south of the present-day Orlando City limits to protect settlers from attacks by Indians during the Second Seminole War. During the Civil War, Orlando’s role included supplying the Confederacy with food, cattle, and horses from the vast plantations in the region.
Today Orlando is recognized as a global tourist attraction and entertainment city
About the Florida Historical Marker Program
One of the most well-known and noticeable public history initiatives of the Division of Historical Resources is the Florida Historical Marker Program. It is intended to increase residents’ and visitors’ enjoyment of Florida’s historic places and to increase public knowledge of the state’s rich cultural past.
About Floridamarkers.com & Florida Historical Markers Near DeLand First Movie House
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