Page 8 - Robeson Living Winter2019

Lumberton’s Carolina Civic Center Historic

Theater to Get Major New Addition

Lumberton city council recently approved adding a re-opened in January 2009 following a major renovation
9,000-square-foot addition to the Carolina Civic Center and upgrade to the facility and its production equipment.
Historic Theater in downtown Lumberton. The theater’s The theater is located at 315 North Chestnut Street in the
new annex will include expanded lobby, concessions, spe- heart of downtown Lumberton. For more information
cial event space, storage and catering kitchen. Additional visit www.carolinaciviccenter.com.
lobby space provided by the annex will significantly in-
crease comfort and safety for the theater’s patrons, who “Because of the success of the existing theater, we be-
will also have a pre- and post-show meeting and gathering lieve that an expanded Civic Center is a very important
space. The new space also will increase the theater’s pro- keystone to the revitalization of downtown Lumberton,”
gramming and attendance by adding special activities in- said Gayle Edens Bigelow, president of the Carolina Civ-
cluding class reunions, fundraisers, conferences, meetings ic Center Foundation board of directors. “This is going to
and other rental events. transform us into a true civic center and build upon oth-
er improvements to the downtown implemented by city
The annex will be built upon an existing city-owned park- council and staff.”
ing lot located on the Theater’s south side. The architect for
the project is Maurer Architecture based in Raleigh, NC. The Civic Center building is owned by City of Lumber-
ton, while the 501(c)3 nonprofit Carolina Civic Center
The theater draws more than 12,000 people each year to its Foundation, Inc., manages and programs the facility.
ongoing schedule of programming that includes live tour- Last year many of its mainstage series shows sold out.
ing performances, original productions, art exhibits, films, For many shows, more than 40 percent of the audience is
special community events and rentals. The Carolina Civic from outside Robeson County.
Center Historic Theater first opened in 1928 as a vaudeville
and silent film house, and is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places. After being closed for several years, it

Page 8 Robeson Living ~ Winter 2019