With its glowing neon sign and location on U.S. 49 South, the Beverly Drive-In is more than just a movie theater to the generations of area residents who grew up going there. It's a landmark.

And that's why the city of Hattiesburg is trying to place it on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mark Ely, Historic Preservation Planner for the city of Hattiesburg, recommended the Beverly for the National Register.

"Giving (a place) national status assists in the social awareness of historic places, It's (the Beverly) a rare and unique relic of our past, one of a few in the state, and one of the few in the country," he said.

To be placed on the National Register, a site has to meet certain criteria. The site should be more than 50 years old, associated with an event or with people that have had significant impact in history, show a distinctive style or period or be able to provide important information about our history or prehistory.

Being on the National Register of Historic Places gives places of historic value recognition nationally and in the community, ensures protection for the site and makes the owners eligible to receive federal assistance for maintenance and certain tax breaks.

Suzette Hargroder, owner of the Beverly Drive-In, is excited about the prospect of her business being placed on the National Register.

"I think it is exciting. To me, this has always been a part of my life. It has been a small business since 1948. That is a long time for a small business to last. It is a part of Hattiesburg's history," she said.

Herb and Sue Hargroder opened the Beverly on May 29, 1948, and sold 1,166 tickets at 30 cents each on its first night.

In 1950, the Beverly played President Truman's speech about U.S. military action in the Korean War over its loudspeakers, and in 1951, film star Charlton Heston visited.

The first film shown at the theater was Swell Guy. Bigger movies with bigger names came along, such as when the Beverly later showed Cattle Queen of Montana, starring Ronald Reagan as "dangerous friend ... deadly foe!"

And in 1960, Doris Day's film, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, played at the theater. The Beverly continued to be successful, opening a mini-golf course across the street from the theater in 1960.

The Hargroders, who raised their family in a house built at the base of the screen, leased the Beverly in 1981. It stayed open a few more years, closing in 1987.

Suzette Hargroder, present owner of the Beverly and daughter of the late Herb and Sue Hargroder, said her parents were committed to decency in the theater.

"The drive-in was always family entertainment, and my parents took pride in that." she said.

Leased by N&S Theaters, the Beverly reopened in 2001 and is one of only four operating drive-in theaters left in Mississippi. The others are in Iuka, Guntown and Pontotoc.

The Beverly is now leased by Ron Cassiano of Mobile, Ala.

"I started Ronell Productions. We made a couple of movies, one in Mobile and one in Orlando," he said. "So I had an idea that if we premiered the films at a drive-in it would be something different."

It is that difference that convinces people to come to the drive-in. Connie Perkins of Brooklyn takes her family to the Beverly. "It's more comfortable to me," she said. "You can kick back and talk. Visit and watch a movie. It's a lot more reasonable, too."

Admission is $6 for ages 11 and up and $4 for ages 4-11.

Eddie Thomas, 18, of Beaumont, helps with the groundwork at the Beverly, and watches movies there in his spare time.

"I think it's fun," he said. "Personally, you don't have to worry about other people talking, you have your own space, privacy and the prices are better here than in a walk-in."

People go to the drive-in for the modern flicks, but also the memories. Vivian Fitzpatrick of Hattiesburg went to the drive-in when she was in high school.

"I guess it was the nostalgia," she said. "Even in high school, it was kind of outdated. I remembered as a kid going with my parents. It was just neat to go and sit in your car."

The Beverly is beloved by many in the area, including Mark Ely.

"Not as a preservation planner, but just as a person who grew up in the area, I know that it's a part of our past — it's an institution. It seems to me that such a place should be on the register because of its cultural importance to our area," Ely said.

Originally publshed online here: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050627/NEWS01/506270363/1002/NEWS01