Catawba Theatre
29 N. College Avenue,
Newton,
NC
28658
29 N. College Avenue,
Newton,
NC
28658
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The Imperial Theatre was built around 1914. It operated for a brief time as the Grand Theatre. By 1940 the name had been changed to the Catawba Theatre. In early-May 1949, the theatre was partially destroyed by a fire.
In 2018 it was occupied by the Dapper Daisy Boutique.
Contributed by
Ridgewood Ken
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
I have removed the photos and comments I posted. The photos were of the Catawba Theatre in Hickory North Carolina, which I will set up a new page for. I researched and found proof of the jewelry store next door and the Rivoli Theatre a block behind it. Sorry for the confusion. This one in Newton did close in the 1950s as originally stated. Today its houses The Dapper Daisy Boutique.
An item datelined Newton, N.C. in the May 14, 1949 issue of Boxoffice said “[t]he Catawba Theatre here was completely destroyed by fire last week. It had been operated by Everett Enterprises.”
As the façade of the building at this address looks to date from the late 19th or early 20th century, at least part of the structure clearly survived (though the roof might have collapsed– it’s impossible to tell just from seeing the current front) so “completely destroyed” probably referred to all the theater’s furnishings and equipment.
Fred Powell and L.C. Sipe renamed the Imperial as the Catawba Theatre on March 4, 1938 with the “Merry-Go-Round of 1938.” The theatre was gutted by fire on April 30, 1949 ending its run.
Building is not Demolished. The Dapper Daisy appears to have moved, but 2023 street view shows the building still stands.