Center Theater

Charlotte, NC

1427 East Morehead Street

, Charlotte, NC, United States

(map)

Status:	Closed/Demolished
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Art Moderne

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	700
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

The Center Theater was built in 1948 and opened with the film "The Saxon Charm" with Susan Hayworth. As a neighborhood theater is seldom got the blockbusters the downtown theaters showed. It specialized in smaller action films and black films of the 1960s and 1970s. In March of 1977 it closed, it's future unsure.

Kermit High, a local manager of several other theaters, renovated and re-opened the Center in August of that year. Sometime in the early 1980s the theater was destroyed to build a small strip mall, which was destroyed in 2004 for the construction of a greenway. In the 1960s the Center was owned by the Eastern Federal chain.

The exterior was a wonderful funky art deco style. The theater was located on the edge of the Myers Park neighborhood, across from the Charlotte Memoral Hospital (now Carolinas Medical Center). A twelve story doctors building used to be across the street. As I child I remember looking out a 12th story window down onto East Morehead Street when I visited the eye doctor. There was the Center Theater. I don't miss the medical building, which has also been demolished, but I do miss the Center.

Contributed by RobbyfromCharlotte

YOUR COMMENTS

Would like to see a photo of this art deco theatre.

posted by Patsy on Sep 10, 2005 at 4:57pm

In reading through the Charlotte listings,it's almost like some evil force decreeed the demolishing/destruction of the beauty and heritage once extant.NC has suffered more than VA.,and the remnants there are sadly few.When compared to Richmond and Norfolk,the NC cities look bare.Raleigh,Greensboro,Durham,Charlotte,etc.-you can count on one hand any notable bldgs left.Just between the 2 VA cities mentiones-it takes TWO hands.We have the grand Byrd,a bit of real time travel.For two bucks,it's back to the future.Atleast you can go to Kannapolis,but it isn't in the same league with the Byrd.

posted by ghamilton on Feb 10, 2007 at 5:08am

Here is one picture though not a full view:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patricia_assorted_pics/2819080097/
And here is one of my father, Edward Marks with two of his staff when he was the manager. Both photos are from around 1949. He worked for Herman B. Meiselman who built the theatre. (Meiselman's company would become Eastern Federal Theatres as mentioned at top). http://www.flickr.com/photos/patricia_assorted_pics/2819080093/
Mr. Meiselman sold the theatre to Stellings & Gossett about 1953 but at some point he bought it back. I don't believe the theatre was across from Charlotte Memorial Hospital (now Carolinas Medical) but the hospital certainly wasn't too far away. The old Boar's Head Restaurant was located semi-across from the theatre.

posted by PatriciaNC on Feb 21, 2009 at 6:49pm

The January 4, 1947, issue of Boxoffice Magazine said that Erle G. Stilwell was the architect of the Center Theatre. The rendering in the magazine showed a four-story business building as part of the project, but the photos at Flickr show what looks like a theatre without any upper floors. The project must have been scaled down. The rounded marquee is the same in both, though.

posted by Joe Vogel on Mar 11, 2009 at 11:00pm

It was part of a small row of buildings & this was typical of Eastern Federal - building a theatre as well as some other store fronts to rent out. The theatre did have a second story where the manager's office and restrooms were & I would guess a balcony too. It was often plagued with flooding problems due to its neighbor, Little Sugar Creek. I do have a photo of my father counting the money in the manager's office. Will try to post it to my flickr account sometime within the next week. Thanks for the info about the architect!

posted by PatriciaNC on Mar 23, 2009 at 6:25pm

1984 Daytime photo of the Center Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c33%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=4&ProductID=31283
1984 Night photo of the Center theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c33%2c3%2c-1&ProductID=31284

posted by Chuck1231 on Apr 9, 2009 at 8:16pm

Unable to get to first link so didn't try 2nd one. Were these photos just before it was demolished?

posted by PatriciaNC on May 6, 2009 at 5:59pm

Try those links tomorrow. The American Classic website is having problems and none of the photo links to that site are working right now.

posted by Lost Memory on May 6, 2009 at 6:25pm

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