Community Corner
Old Vernon Police Photos: Gene Pitney and The Palace in Rockville
An old photo depicting the place where Gene Pitney's career had a kick start was recently uncovered.
VERNON, CT — Remember the old Palace theater in the Rockville section of Vernon? A few photos of it were recently shared by local police.
The Vernon Police Department Records Division has a very interesting collection of historic photos, whether they were garnered for an investigation over the years or simply donated for the cops had a record of significant buildings.
The Palace is among them.
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The earliest photo of the Palace in the police archives dates back to about 1919, but the image that really stands out is from 1958, donated by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gene Pitney's archivist, Brian Frederick. That's when "The Rockville Rocket" began honing his skills at the venue.
A veteran cop who now oversees the Vernon Police Records Division likes to tell the story. The Palace was located on School Street, where the back parking lot of the Tolland County Courthouse — Rockville Superior Court — is now. Pitney worked as an usher there and the manager, Forrest Hull, took a liking to him. As the story goes, Hull let Pitney and his band, "Gene and the Genials," prtactice at the Palace and even offered coaching.
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Hull's car is shown in the photo parked out front. The Buick matched the color of the infamous monster in a cult classic-horror movie that came out that year — The Blob.
Hull retired shortly after and became a Rockville cop. He stayed on after the merger with the Vernon department in 1965 and retired from the force in 1980, according to the story.
Pitney was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2002. He spent time in his native Vernon and adopted hometiown of Somers until his death in 2006. Both towns have placed benches in prominent places in his honor.
As section of the old marquis for The Palace was reportedly restored, but no one quite knows where it is, according to police. It apparently used enough light bulbs to turn a good-sized room into a sauna.
Photo Courtesy of Vernon Police/Pitney Archives
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