Kings Mountain Herald

Library features local author on website July 27

Watch local author, Misty M. Beller, tell you about her newest adventures writing her Hearts of Montana book series. God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Misty will be on location in Montana to show you the beautiful scenery that surrounds her new series, and she will tell you a bit about writing, too. You will find her story on Mauney Memorial Library’s Facebook page, as well as the library website. To receive a free copy of one of her latest books, register online at mauneylibrary.org, while supplies last!

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and daughters now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
— KM Herald

Pieces of Kings Mountain History, July 15, 2020

I’ve always been intrigued by theaters in Kings Mountain. As a child, we only had one movie venue in town, the Joy Theater located where the Joy Performance Center is now.

I knew the town had several theaters over the years, but I learned of a new one this week. The first movie theater was on Battleground Avenue, then known as Railroad Avenue on the East side of the tracks. The road was renamed Battleground Avenue later on. Viewing the 1908 Sanborn Map, The Opera House was located on the second floor above a Hand Printing Shop; the town’s Armory was located next door. It was just north of the Gold Street railroad crossing.

I just learned that the next theater was called Pastime Movies and was located near, or perhaps in the same building that later became the Imperial Theater on East Mountain Street. As indicated on the 1919 Sanborn Map, the theater had lights, electric, and heat stoves.

The Imperial Theater was owned by a businessman in Shelby and the Cash brothers ran the establishment and it was likely in business after 1920. By 1935, the brothers operated the Dixie Theater in a building owned by the Plonk family at 216 Railroad Avenue. The Cash brothers bought the fixtures and seating for that theater. They played movies and, during the ‘20s and ‘30s, hosted Loretta Lynn and countless road musicians on their circuit tours.

Next, the Cash brothers expanded their theater empire adding the Victory Theater in Cramerton in 1943, and the Gaston and Holly theaters in Mt. Holly the following year. With those, the Cash brothers owned four theaters.

On June 1, 1949, David and Charlie Cash opened their fifth theater, the Joy Theater, in downtown Kings Mountain. As was customary in the time, the newspaper grew from six to 20 pages that week, filled with ads welcoming the new business. The Joy Theater had the most modern equipment and seated 772 patrons. The seats were made of padded leather.

When the theater was bought by a church in the late 1970’s or early ‘80s, there was no theater in town for over 30 years until the Joy Performance Theater opened. It is now a performance venue and shows films from time to time. But the experience of catching a movie at the local theater on a Friday or Saturday night is now gone from downtown Kings Mountain.

With the Dixie property still available, one hopes a visionary with a passion to create a draw in downtown Kings Mountain might reclaim the old building for a theater or live entertainment space. We are witnessing a lot of growth in town of late and it won’t be long until that large space has a new lease on life. One can only imagine what the future might bring for the old theater, and our town.