Palace Theatre
110-112 Market Street,
Wilmington,
NC
28405
110-112 Market Street,
Wilmington,
NC
28405
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing all 7 comments
Here is a Google street view of the building at 913 Castle St. in Wilmington. Though something less than palatial-looking, it does look like a former theater
The Palace was the last African American theater to open in Wilmington. It was located at 913 Castle Street, in the Dry Pond neighborhood of Wilmington, not far from the location of the Queen, Wilmington’s first black theater. (Wilmington Post, January 3, 1948, Reaves Collection, New Hanover County Public Library).
The Palace was one of the few, if not the only, black theater in Wilmington’s history to advertise in white newspapers. Ads from the 1940s show the theater frequently ran westerns.
In 1955 the Palace was closed and, according to city directories from the period, was replaced by a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall.
The address was 913 Castle St as you can see in that ad above. I’m not sure where the Market St address came from that is on this page. A Google view of 913 Castle shows the theatre to still be standing.
Don’t know this theatre is still standing as I contacted the Cape Fear Convention and Visitors Bureau and was told.. “I am not aware of the Palace Theater in our area and there is not one in that block of Market.” If this is the case, then it has been demolished or the space is being used for another purpose.
Any photos, anyone?
Is this theatre still standing?
The Wilmington, NC Historic Buildings Survey dated 1974-1978 gives the address of the Palace Theater as 110â€"112 Market Street.