Carolina Theatre
230 N. Tryon Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28202
230 N. Tryon Street,
Charlotte,
NC
28202
9 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 175 of 196 comments
Kari: I just printed out the links you posted and found it interesting to read and see the video that also mentioned the restoration of the old Paramount Theatre in Concord on Union Street. We have a good friend who lives on Union so the next time we visit him we shall check out the Paramount location!
Kari: Thanks so much for these links. I would appreciate it if you would contact me via my email at at your convenience in regards to the Carolina Theatre. I’m a member of CTPS (Carolina Theatre Preservation Society)with Charlie Clayton, President. He has worked for 10 years to see what was decided upon through the council vote at the recent City Council meeting and we are all very appreciative of their decision and of Charlie’s time and dedication to Saving the Carolina!
Well it looks as if there has been a final decision made as to the fate of our beloved theatre. Links are provided below with more information.
August 26th 2005 – 22-story tower proposed
View link
January 10th 2006 – Historic Theatres Given New Life
View link
GREAT NEWS! I just attended the Charlotte City Council meeting. The sale of the theatre to the Atlanta based development company for $1 million dollars was approved at tonight’s meeting. This will allow CTPS (Carolina Theatre Preservation Society) to begin their work towards restoration of the Carolina. Updates will be given here as progress is made.
“Meanwhile the local Arts & Science Council seems to have dropped any reuse of the Carolina off its radar but they continue with plans to build a new mid sized performance theater a few blocks away.” This is disturbing news as I can’t imagine why any council would want to take the historical Carolina Theatre off their radar and put their sights on building a new theatre a few blocks away? The Carolina Theatre is the cities rich and colorful past and should be preserved for future generations, imo.
Mark in NC: Thanks for this update as I’m a member of CTPS and since I’m not in the Charlotte area at the moment and haven’t been since April I haven’t been able to keep track of the latest developments. I know a fund raiser was being planned for November 5th at PCC with a production of Love Letters. Please keep CT members posted on any upcoming Carolina Theatre news. Thanks.
The beautiful facade of the Carolina has recently been dismantled and stored inside the shuttered auditorium by order of the City of Charlotte. Liability concerns apparently lead to this action. The local paper keeps hinting at a pending condo development on the site that would incorporate the theater and provide some amount of TIF money towards the restoration of the auditorium. No formal announcement has been released yet – nor have any renderings, budget or reuse strategy been disclosed. Meanwhile the local Arts & Science Council seems to have dropped any reuse of the Carolina off its radar but they continue with plans to build a new mid sized performance theater a few blocks away.
lostmemory: Thanks for posting the article with photos from 1978. The CTPS (Carolina Theatre Preservation Society is presently trying to save this historical theatre in downtown Charlotte.
keionm: Please mention my name when you contact Charlie. Thanks again for your interest in Charlotte’s Carolina Theatre. If you want to learn much more about the theatre and its interesting history, go to www.mtos.org MTOS stands for Metrolina Theatre Organ Society.
BTW, I just posted the above message at 11:15 a.m. and it reads 8:15 a.m. so the CT clock isn’t matching real time….don’t believe I’ve had this situation occur since becoming a CT member.
keionm: What a lovely Sunday a.m. surprise to find your CT Carolina Theatre message. I hope that you will give Charlie Clayton a call at the above # and tell him of your support and interest in CTPS and our efforts. I also included his email address to contact him in the above March 11th. He would be happy to speak with you, give you the current update and any other general information. I have only been a member of CTPS since last winter. I find the folks involved to be dedicated, knowledgeable in their field(s) and ready to roll their sleeves up, as it were! I was going to send you a personal email, but see that that information is not provided by you on your profile page so therefore this CT post. My email is so feel free to contact me and/or Charlie anytime as I would forward any emails to him. Thanks again for your CTPS interest. Last winter Charlie gave me a tour of the Carolina and it was a memorable visit in many ways!
I can’t tell you how I sympathize and fully support the carolina theater preservation society’s mission. As a North Carolina native who now resides in NY I have seen many landmark and first run theaters close without any type of community support or protest. The fact is is that people in NY feel they’re fighting a losing battle when they wage a war against these corporations to keep these theaters open. What they fail to realize is that they’re losing a piece of americana when they let these theaters fall to closure, abandonment, and deterioration. I stand behind CTPS and vow to support them in whatever way I can to see this theater restored to it’s grandeur in my home state of NC. Be it fundraising events, donations, or whatever charity starts at home and then spreads abroad.
There seems to be a few CT members who have contributed to this theatre link that perhaps live in the Charlotte area. If this is the case and you want to see this theatre restored, please contact Charlie Clayton at .com or call him at 704-534-1729. There will be a meeting Monday, March 21st at 7:00 PM Doubletree Hotel/Gateway Village 895 Trade Street. If interested, you are more than welcome to join us and meet others who want to see the Carolina Theatre restored. This theatre can be the “Jewel” in Charlotte’s crown. Thanks.
BTW, does everyone like the new CT format? I’m not sure as I have to ‘maximize’ the link to read the messages, etc. though the print is larger for us older members!
Anyone reading this link should read some of the Carolina Theatre articles as this theatre needs to be restored! If you want more information, please contact Charles Clayton, President Carolina Theatre Preservation Society (CTPS) via email at .com
Yes, the name Charles Christian Hook is a prominent name in Charlotte architectural history. Oneof his most beautiful buildings is a fire station on S. Laurel near downtown Charlotte.
Another worthwhile article by Michaele Ballard entitled A New Show at the Carolina can be found at this website
“Today the theatre is a shell of its former self. Its lobby and retail area were torn down in the ’80s after a fire that was confined to the stage; however, smoke spread throughout the theatre.” This quote taken from the above website.
Go to www.mtos.org to take a photo tour of the Carolina Theatre to read an interesting article by Michaele Ballard entitled “The Carolina Theatre Awaits Her Fate”.
The Carolina did not burn down. The lobby area doesn’t exist, but the reason isn’t due to fire. “Although the corner retail section of the property was demolished many years ago, the original entry facade is intact and the theatre itself, known as an "atmospheric theatre” is intact. The interior is reminiscent of the Spanish Renaissance style, with balconies and murals suggesting the illusion of an exotic, open-air Mediterranean garden patio.“ This quote is taken from the first Carolina Theatre Palace newsletter Volume 1, Issue 1 Feb. 2005. The Carolina Theatre Preservation Society (CTPS) founded in 1997 is a non-profit organization that has fought passionately for the preservation of the Carolina Theatre. An interesting fact is that the only premiere of "Gone With the Wind” was held at the Carolina in addition to the Atlanta premiere.
Ross: I would like to see the complete Carolina Theatre information included at the top of this page rather than the word ‘unknown’ as most or all of the background information is included in several posts particularly the ones from KenRoe and Charlie C.
The exact quote from the Carolina Theatre Timeline (Oct 1988) is “City Fair opens but work is halted due to escalating cost. City Fair has already gutted the building removing almost all the decorative and ornate objects from the theatre. The stage area is rebuilt to accommodate the planned seating area for the restaurant. Carly Capital Co. who owns City Fair talks city into de-listing theatre from local historic register. The steel beams that were needed for the restaurant would not fit through the old lobby so it had to be torn down.” Now this is truly unbelieveable and almost made me faint when I read it! In Sept 1982 the Carolina was placed on the local Historic Register only to be “de-listed” in 1988 so it was on the list for a short 6 years!
The photo on this page unfortunately doesn’t show the portion of the theatre with it’s wonderful green Spanish tile slanted roof as trees are in the way so if you are in the Charlotte area and haven’t really looked at the original front roof facade of the Carolina that still exists, I urge you to stop and take a good long look. Thanks to Charlie C. he has shared with me some of the important Carolina history and now I know, in part, why the lobby section is gone……when City Fair was involved and going to go proceed with their plans for the theatre they needed to bring in some steel beams and in the process realized they couldn’t get them inside so they removed the lobby section! I can’t find the exact quote, but that comes close to what I read.
Thomas: I can’t bring up the site you mentioned on June 2002 about the article that appeared in the Independent Tribune concerning the fund raiser for the Carolina. Perhaps you or Charlie C. can enlighten me about this and why there hasn’t been other fund raisers since then…..it’s time! I suppose the site isn’t available now because that fundraiser is old news, but a new fundraiser needs to be present news!
I was recently in Raleigh for the annual State Tree Lighting Ceremony and visited the Museum of History’s gift shop. I found a book on Charlotte with mention of the Carolina Theatre, but no photos. I’m hoping that Santa will bring this book on Christmas morning! HO HO HO!