25 N. Front, Wilmington, North Carolina
| Dates of Operation | 12/24/1910* - 4/1923* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Types | illustrated songs , movies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Racial Policy | presumed white | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Description | The Grand was located in a downtown building known as the “iron-front” building, so named because of its cast-iron columns. While other movie theaters in Wilmington operated from early afternoon until late evening, the Grand was open only at night. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Building Notes | The three-story commercial building that housed the Grand was built in 1878 and still stands. The first floor of the renaissance-style structure was for many years a clothing store, in the early 1880s by Louis Otterbourg for his "Iron Front Men's Wear Depot," and in 1889 by S.H. Fishblate for his men's clothing store. The storefront space "repurposed" to make the Grand was fairly large by local standards: 36 feet along its front on N. Front Street, extending approximately 75 feet to the rear. In 1914, J.M. Solky renovated the theater interior and built a 25-foot extension onto the rear, making the theater 36 feet by 100 feet. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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