The Carolina Theatre’s history tells the wonderful story of small town America giving birth and early growth to an entertainment venue for movies and country music legends alike.

In 2007, The Carolina Theatre will be 70 years old and through all those years of use and neglect, this entertainment venue has survived the test of time. It stands before us today a proud, yet depressed looking pink brick building consisting of approximately 5,000 square feet of empty space.

To date, the classic vinyl covered seats have all been removed from the interior, dismantled and their metal bases have been sent out to be sandblasted in preparation for their new paint. The seats will be recovered and will soon be ready to take their rightful place in their new home.

The Marquee on the front of The Carolina Theatre building and the Marquee on the upper street are currently under repair and reconstruction.

The very small original hard-wood stage has been enlarged to accommodate future performances, along with new stairs leading to the stage and a long handicapped ramp.

The support thus far for the new and improved entertainment venue has been great. Generous support by local folks has allowed us to purchase another building that is attached to The Carolina Theatre. This building is approximately 2200 square feet and will help us get on the stage with new events much faster and more economically than building a new addition as we had planned. This attached building will provide a place for new restrooms and handicap ramps. It will also serve as an excellent space to build a banquet room for all sorts of fundraising activities.

A project of this size always presents many challenges. But the work must continue and in order for us to meet and overcome these challenges, it is vitally important that we have the continued financial support of patrons who believe and support this worthwhile project - patrons who want to see this dream become a reality. Remember, no contribution is considered too small or too large.

Heritage | The Past | The Future | Steps to Goal | Estimated Cost
Why the Brown Building | Site Plans | 501-3c Corporation

The Heritage

• Built in 1937 s movie/live entertainment venue.
• 1937 until around 1946 the facility served as a movie house and hosted the Carolina Talent Show which show cased local country music talent.
• From this talent show O.D. Calhoun and Myron Houston started the Carolina Barn Dance.
• From around 1946 thru 1954 the Carolina Barn Dance became extremely well known. It was broadcast by Liberty Broadcasting Company in Dallas, Texas in cooperation with WBRM in Marion, NC to 545 radio stations across the nation. With the exception of Washington State the program was heard every Friday night in 47 states.
• Just about anyone who became anyone in country music performed on this state. Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, Sonny James, Chet Atkins, Bill Monroe, String Bean
• Scotty and Lula Bell Wiseman, a local couple who became very popular performed here many times. They are best known for their song, “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You”.
• Many of the era’s movie heroes made the trip to the Carolina Theatre in downtown Spruce Pine. Tex Ritter and his horse came here. Tom Mix made a visit as well.
• The Carolina Theatre’s history tells the wonderful story of small town America during the birth and the early growth of the movies and of country music.

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The Past

• The building was built in 1937 as a movie house and stage event facility. It operated as such until...
• 1946 thru 1954 the building hosted a country music event called, “the Carolina Barn Dance”.
• The Carolina Barn Dance was broadcast to 554 radio stations across the country. At the time you could tune in from Los Angeles or Washington D.C. and listen to the show from downtown Spruce Pine.
• From the mid 50’s thru the 90’s it was used primarily as a movie house.
• During the 90’s it became a twin theatre, a pizza restaurant, a church, and back again to a restaurant and a church.
• For several years during the 90’s it sat mostly abandoned and ignored. It looked like the end was near.
• In 2004 it was finally remembered, it was salvaged, it’s heritage as a piece of Americana was recognized and with great hope and effort it will be born again as a first class entertainment facility.

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The Future

The Ultimate Goal for The Caroling Theatre: is to renovate this old theatre into a first class entertainment venue that will attract visitors from far and wide, thus providing a much needed economic stimulus to Spruce Pine and Mitchell County NC for years to come.

How Can We Obtain this Goal?

• By providing a show case for our heritage and increase our awareness of other cultures.
• By providing a wide variety of venues showcasing music of all types, live stage performances, art events, DVD presentations and Educational opportunities for all ages.
• By providing a place for our abundant treasure of local talent to let their light shine.
• By providing a place for public and private gatherings of all kinds.
• By providing opportunities for our young people to remain here and prosper if they so choose.
• By providing a place that makes visitors to our area feel welcome, relaxed, entertained, and want to come back.
• By providing a place that local folks will fell a sense of pride and ownership in. Define the steps that will need to be taken to reach our goal.

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Steps Necessary to Obtain the Goal

1. Acquire the financial support necessary start the process.
2. Purchase and Renovate the Brown building.
3. Renovate the Front Façade; Renovate the Lower Street and Upper Street Marquees.
4. Renovate the Lobby, the Auditorium areas and install a balcony.
5. Renovate the stage provide and install stage equipment.
6. Refurbish and Install seating.
7. Provide and Install a first class sound, video and lighting system.
8. Provide and Install an Elevator.
9. Provide and Install new electrical, HVAC and Plumbing to current standards.
10. Provide the exterior and interior finishes to be functional yet pleasing to the patrons, entertainers and the general public. Provide a facility that is a valued asset to the city and county.
11. During the on going construction phase, develop a sound business plan; when the time is right pt in place the management staff necessary to successfully implement the business plan and to operate this facility in a self sufficient manner.

Step One to Opening
Obtaining the Financial Support

• Develop a fund raising plan that would include opportunities for many interested people to be a part of this dream.
• Provide extensive public information about the 501c3 nature of this project and the economic possibilities that a facility of this nature could provide for the entire community.
• Select a logical progression of opportunities and show tangible results of the funds as they are raised.
• Some of the specific funding opportunities, many of them naming opportunities, and their estimated cost are discussed in detail by the following steps.

Step Two to Opening ”The Brown Building” (A Name Opportunity)

• Purchase and Renovate the attached building known as the, “Brown Building”.
• Why the interest in this Building? The use of this building would allow The Carolina Theatre to open much sooner and for less money than building the two story addition on the city parking lot side.
• The Brown building would provide a ready made shell that would accommodate the installation of code current restrooms, a mini kitchen, and serve as a banquet room to host various community meetings and fund raising events of up to 100 people.
• It also provides valuable space for required ADA entrances and HC ramps.
• Use of this building would also provide many options for the two story addition at the parking lot to be built after the theatre is up and running. More stage support rooms, dressing rooms, green room, administration office and planning rooms.
• It would also provide many options for the use of land at the rear of this building already owned by the theatre.
• The cost to purchase and renovate this building is estimated at $200,000.

Step Three to Open – Renovate/Restore the Front Façade

• Restore the front of the building to its 1950 era appearance. (A naming opportunity).
• Remove the existing brick and replace with material that was used extensively during the 1950’s.
• Restore the stucco and the black glass border above the marquee and entrance.
• Provide new recessed entrance doors and a functional replica of the old ticket booth. (A naming opportunity).
• Replace the windows at the Balcony level.
• Restore Lower Street marquee with full neon and chaser lights. Let it be seen by satellite. (A naming opportunity).
• Restore the Upper Street marquee to include a digital sign. Not only theatre events could be announced on this sign but also many community events. (A naming opportunity).

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Estimated Cost to Purchase and Renovate the Brown Building

Purchase Price	$73,000
Renovation Cost
Demolition	15,000
General Construction	36,500
Exterior and Interior Finishes	22,000
Plumbing	15,500
HVAC	17,000
Electrical	12,500
Minimum Kitchen Equip & Décor	7,000
Total:	$198,500

Why the Brown Building?
The Brown Building would be of great value to the overall project by providing:

1. An existing building shell that could accommodate modern code complaint restrooms and a small waitress station.
2. A location for a shortened handicap ramp.
3. Space for a banquet/meeting room that could serve 80 to 100 people for all kinds of meetings both public and private.
4. A lower street level entrance to property owned by the theatre located at the rear of the Brown Building. This space is needed for stage support facilities. Having the Brown building as an option would allow the theatre to open much sooner and more economically than having to build a completely new structure at the parking lot side of the existing building. It would allow this space to be used in Phase II construction to house all sorts of needed space for stage support.

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Site Plans
 

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501-3c Corporation
The three principal classifications of 501(c)(3) organizations are as follows:

A public charity (identified in IRS terms as "not a private foundation") normally receives a substantial part of its income, directly or indirectly, from the general public or from the government. The public support must be fairly broad, not limited to a few individuals or families. Public charities are defined in the Internal Revenue Code under sections 509(a)(1) through 509(a)(4).

A private foundation, sometimes called a non-operating foundation, receives most of its income from investments and endowments. This income is used to make grants to other organizations, rather than being disbursed directly for charitable activities. Private foundations are defined in the Internal Revenue Code under section 509(a) as 501(c)(3) organizations which do not qualify as public charities.

A private operating foundation is a private foundation that devotes most of its earnings and assets directly to the conduct of its tax exempt purposes, rather than to making grants to other organizations for these purposes. Private operating foundations are defined in the Internal Revenue Code under section 4942(j)(3).

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For more information on how you can help, or if you have any questions you can contact us by email or you can use our information request form.