February 11, 2021
The historic Gem Theatre in Kannapolis is briefly closing its doors in order to undergo renovations. The movie theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is “the oldest single-screen movie theater with balcony seating in the country.”
Read more about the history and the future of this storied building: “Historic movie theater near Charlotte preps for a million-dollar makeover”
The Museum is excited to announce that Bank of America will donate $10,000 towards the Inside Siloam School virtual event. This generous contribution means that 100% of every ticket purchased will go directly to the Save Siloam School Project.
We’re so grateful Bank of America is supporting this program, which will bring attendees inside the decaying school virtually to envision what it looked like almost 100 years ago and what it will look like once it’s restored.
Saving the Siloam School is an important step for our community as we work to bring more equity to historic preservation and to deal with the legacy and persistence of difficult aspects of our history, including segregation, discrimination, and injustice. Honestly exploring these topics is necessary to build a stronger future for our community.
Thanks to Bank of America, the full amount of your $25 ticket will go towards our 1-million-dollar goal to move and restore the historic Black school. Get your ticket now for this exciting program!
Kick-Off Lecture
Thursday, February 18, at 6:00 pm
The week-long virtual event will get started with an exciting kick-off program featuring Stephanie Deustch, author of You Need A Schoolhouse, Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South. The event will also feature Project Champions including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Chair of the Save Siloam School Project Fannie Flono, author and retired editor at The Charlotte Observer, and others.
You’ll also hear about:
Progress on the restoration Plans for the school’s future
What the school means to the community
Why its preservation is more important than ever
Top photo: Stephanie Deutsch, Author
Bottom photo: Mecklenburg County presents the Museum with a $125,000 donation to support Save Siloam School in December 2019
February 2, 2021
The gasoline spill that occurred last August in the Oehler Nature Preserve near Huntersville continues to be investigated. The nature preserve includes the historic Oehler House and Ephraim Alexander McAuley House. HLC Staff is monitoring the situation.
For more: “Massive gasoline spill near Huntersville almost 18 times greater than first reported”
January 27, 2021
Camp North End, which includes the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, has announced plans for residential, office, and retail space on the site. This is a good example of the viability of adaptively reusing historic properties, which as The Charlotte Observer notes, “has spread across Charlotte, bucking the trend of the city tearing down its history.”
For more: “More changes coming for a popular former industrial site in north Charlotte”
January 26, 2021
The latest installment of historian Tom Hanchett’s column “Building History” for Charlotte Magazine discusses the history of Walton Plaza in Uptown, which currently sits vacant.
Read more about this historic building here: “Building History: Walton Plaza in Uptown”