Newtowne 1 & 2
1515 E. Broad Street,
Statesville,
NC
28625
1515 E. Broad Street,
Statesville,
NC
28625
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The final films screened there were chicken run and Thomas and the magic railroad
Carmike closed it on September 14th, 2000.
Two screens on March 26th, 1982. Another ad posted.
Newtowne grand opening ad posted.
Newtowne still stands. Old site of Village Inn Pizza was demolished a few months ago. Weird seeing it from the highway without the old Village Inn A-frame there. I’d imagine Newtowne is not much further from demolition. This whole area is pretty much a ghosttown outside of the Starbucks near the front.
Video of this theater on You Tube as of 12/29/16. Recorded in April 2016. Theater and surrounding restaurants closed but still there. Shots of the interior only of what could seen through the front windows. Lots of mold but everything still intact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzZRcLMIh6k
We have several decent photos of the exterior in the photos section now. Could we get one of them to replace the empty sign as the main photo? I was out there the other day and that sign has been removed too at this point.
Newtowne is actually beside the JR Tobacco Discount Outlet. It’s still standing unless it’s been torn down in the past month or two. It’s sandwiched in between the JR Outlet on the left side near the highway and the pizza place with the high pointed triangular roof that is right off the highway.
I have the ads if you need to see them
Was twinned by 1978 when ownership changed to Atlanta-based Martin Theatres and renamed the Newtowne Twin split it into two sections with a seating capacity of 265 each.
Carmike Cinemas took over this theatre in 1986 until it closed in 2000 when it was a second-run discount house.
THEATRE HISTORY:
1967-1978 Statesville Theatre Corporation
1978-1986 Martin Theatres
1986-2000 Carmike Cinemas
Owned and operated under Statesville Theatre Corporation under Fuller Sams as a single screen cinema with a seating capacity of 530. The architect was Thomas Hutchens. The premiere attraction for the grand opening of the Newtowne Theatre was “Hombre” starring Paul Newman and Richard Boone.
ADDRESS:
1515 East Broad Street, Newtowne Plaza Shopping Center Statesville, NC 28625
The NEWTOWNE THEATRE was the first cinema to be built in Statesville since 1939 and it was the first suburban theater to be located in Statesville and Iredell County.
Correction: THE NEWTOWNE THEATRE opened on April 26,1967 under Statesville Theatre Corporation. Located on East Broad Street in the Newtowne Plaza at the Interstate 77 intersection.
I didn’t realize the Newtowne was in operation as far back as 1969. Do you guys know what year exactly it opened? We used to eat at the pizza place beside it once a month or so when I was younger and I caught several shows at the Newtowne during the 1990s.
Passed by it on the interstate yesterday morning. Looks like nothing has changed.
wow, it lasted till 2000. 84 photo shows that it played the Burt Reynolds movie the man who loved women.
I Don’t have a problem with Twin Theatres if they are built from the ground like RMC said twinning a single house ruins a theatre I also think a Marquee is always needed.
Does anyone know if this theater is for sale? I cannot find any information about it.
I was projectionist at the NEWTOWNE in 1969. It was owned and operated by STATESVILLE THEATRE CORPORATION, who later sold it STEWART-EVERETTE THEATRES.
When it was a single house, it had dual carbon arc projectors. The platters probably replaced the original equipment when they twinned (and ruined) the theater.
Could the booth just have been set-up as a single screen theatre “changeover” house (two projectors projecting onto one screen one projector at a time, no platters)? Was it run by Carmike?
I know a little about the Newtowne, having worked there in the 1970s. Originally a single screen, the projection room seemed to have been laid out with twinning in mind from the beginning .. always seemed to be huge. The original projectors were carbon arc. The concession stand was long and narrow.
I don’t remember it ever having a wooden floor, however.