Vintage photographs of a drive-in church in Florida, 1947

 

America's love for the automobile was at its peak after World War II. You can drive through just about anything - movie theaters, car washes, restaurants, banks, and...even churches. This is a very American way to attend church.

These rare photographs of a drive-in church in St. Petersburg (Florida) were taken for an article appearing in LIFE magazine that was never published.

They're definitely missing some popcorn, maybe some roller-skating preachers distributing altar bread, but overall, the idea adds some spice to the Sunday service. There's still a drive-in church in St. Petersburg today, but without the impressive line-up of classic cars, we can imagine it doesn't have quite the same charm.

The first historical official drive-in establishment was a movie theater. A partial drive-in theater – the Theater de Guadalupe – was opened in Las Cruces, New Mexico on April 23, 1915: the auditorium could comfortably seat seven hundred people. Automobile entrance and space for 40 or more cars within the theater grounds and in-line position for viewing photos and viewing all performances on stage is a feature of the venue that will delight car owners.

In 1921, a drive-in was opened in Comanche, Texas by Claude V. Caver. Caver obtained a permit from the city to project a film downtown. With cars parked bumper-to-bumper, patrons watched screenings of silent films from their vehicles.

In the 1920s, "outdoor movies" became a popular summer entertainment, but relatively few "drive-in" experiments were conducted due to logistical difficulties.

The drive-in theater was patented in Camden, New Jersey by chemical company magnate Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr., whose family owned the R.M. Was owned and operated by. Hollingshead Corporation chemical plant in Camden.

In 1932, Hollingshead held outdoor theater tests in his driveway at 212 Thomas Avenue in Riverton. After placing a screen on trees in his backyard, he mounted a 1928 Kodak projector on the hood of his car and a radio behind the screen, testing different sound levels below and above his car windows.

Blocks beneath the vehicles in the driveway enabled them to determine the size and spacing of the ramps so that all automobiles could have a clear view of the screen. Hollingshead applied for a patent for his invention. Since that time the drive-in concept has expanded to the food industry, entertainment, churches, and other establishments.