The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1926-04-23
WILLLET CONTRACT FOR
NEW THEATRE JUNE 3RD
Elizabeth City's New and Largest Playhouse,
Project of Carolina Bank Group, 10
Be Built Soon


Contract for the cOnStruc-
ton OF the Carolina Theatre.
to give Elizabeth City Keith
vaudeville and moving pictures,
will be let on June ), 1920. The
new theatre. to be built i'll the
rear of the Carolina Bank
Building, with entrance lobby
in the Bank Building on Main
St. will cost more than SlZ9,-
600 anil contracts will call for
its completion by Jan. |. 1927.
The new theatre will hr 81 feet
wide by 10 feet deep and will seat
| 1.25O people. The plans, drawn by
Benton & Benton Cf Wilson. called
for standard stage ana seating. Ii
will extend from the rear of the
Carolina Bank BIildin. to Matthews
81. with stage entrance on that
street.
III provide an entrance for the
theatre thru the lobby Of the bank
building calls for extensive alter
ationS 10 the lobby. Including the
removal of the present elevator and
the installation of new elevators in
space tO bc taken from the store Oc-
cupiel by Gilbert'S. Contract for
the new elevators will hr let Friday,
April ~. The total cost Of all i'm
provementS will run into nearly
$1JO.0OO. The whole project has
, been financed by stockholders Of
the Caroliua Banking & Trust Co.
Theatre Leased For IL Years
The leSSeeS Of the theatre are the
; Carolina Theatres Corporation of
ASheyille. operating theatres i'll
.A>heville Lexington. Newton. Hick-
DRY and StateSvillc, y. e. and in
: Sumter. Rock Hill and Columbia.
:. e. The concern has a paid III
/ capital Of more than $4,000 and its
president and general manager is
f. u. Turner. formerly theatre man.
a.er for the Famous Players LaSky
, Corporation of New York City.
! Mr.. Turner had opened and opcr-
atcd a number of theatres thruout
the country for Famous Players
I.asky when they sent him 10 Ashc-
F., willie To operate their theatre in
that city. In ASheville Mr.. Turner
S,iw the possibilities for Il chain Of
! first class vaudeville ard motion
picture houses in the CarOlinaS and
founded the Carolina Theatres Corp.
The concern has won the cOnfid-
erCc and appreciation OF the pub
lie and business interests in every
city in which they operate.
The lease of the Carolina Theatre
i for fifteen years at monthly
rental Of $1,000 month.
The new theatre was projected
more than four months ago and was
actually financed as carly aS the
latter part Of January. tonStruc-
ton was to have started early III
March. but there was some hitch rs
TO the lease.
All Terms of Lease Met
". T. Culpeppcr was the original
1rcmotcr and the moving spirit in
the whole enterprise. He promised
stockholders q nirOn clad lease for
II years. Afterwards there was
Som.. hcSitancy upon the part of the
leS<orS to put mp Il sufficient bond I"
guarantee the fulfillment of the
term of their lease. Then and
there Billy Culpcppcr insisted that
nothing should he done until his
promise TO the stockholders Should
hc filled To thc letter. President
TTrxrr OF the Carolina Theatres
Corporation generously met the
terms Of the lease this week.
Tho construction of this new anu
modern Building will be the most
notable building improvement on
Main st. since the Carolina Bank
, building itself. With the building
of Elizabeth City'S new community
hotel in the immediate Ticinity Eliz
abcth City's down town area l.