A Beautiful New Dance Hall/Multipurpose Center in Downtown New Bern

Kudos and three cheers for Joyce Price, Beth Carole Beach and Mary Servalli.

These three special  ladies had the vision and grit to tackle the massive renovation of  Stanley Hall,  249 Craven Street, on the second floor of the Stanley Building at the corner of Pollock and Craven Street.  A ribbon cutting on Friday, July 20 celebrated the completion of what is now a banquet, conference, music and dance venue featuring 3,600 square feet of a multipurpose hall, forty-five feet wide extending the full eighty foot depth of the building.

The Stanley Hall Ballroom is now the home of the Rivertowne Ballroom with Friday open dances, Monday dance classes and Wednesday night Line Dance and Zumba classes. The beautifully restored space with its large dance floor of heart pine, beautiful chandeliers and dramatic staircase makes this the perfect venue for wedding receptions, benefits and or special events for groups up to 200 people. Access to the hall is through a tall recessed door and staircase on Pollock Street or through an entrance and elevator on Craven Street.

The building was originally built in 1874 by Edward R. Stanley, a prominent merchant initially serving as a dance hall. Over the years it has been used for many purposes including a court room, gymnasium for athletic events, YMCA rooms, the town’s post office until the Federal Post Office and Court House Building (now City Hall) was built in the 1890’s.

*  Most recently it served as an office center.  

Prior to the 2008 economic downturn, a developer had purchased and gutted the upper story for renovation as residential condominiums. When Joyce saw the interior space, never realizing what was over her  ground level dance studio, she knew this would be the perfect location for the expansion of the studio. Her enthusiasm spread to Beth Carole and Mary and after many months of renovation, this incredible space has come full circle 138 years later and is once again a dance hall.  

For more information go to www.rivertowneballroom.com  or call 252-637-2003.

*The Historic Architecture of New Bern and Craven County by

  Peter Sandbeck

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director

Renovations - Stanley Hall

Renovations - Stanley Hall

Renovations - Stanley Hall

Renovations - Stanley Hall

Stanley Hall
Grand Opening July 2012
Photo courtesy of Nate Skipper

O.Marks/Coplon Building...a long and interesting story



Coplon Building occupied by
Montgomery Ward until 1964



O. Marks Building Purchased by Belk in 1937



Metal facade uniting the two buildings into one Belk Dept. Store

The O. Marks building at 233 Middle Street has a long and interesting history. The building was originally two separate buildings. The three story portion, adjacent to the First Baptist Church, was constructed in 1915-16 for Oscar Marks & Son to house their expanded dry goods and shoe sales operations. Following Oscar Marks death in 1921, business declined and the firm closed its doors in 1927. The building remained vacant for four years until it was used as a Chrysler dealership. In 1937, Belk Department Store purchased the building and replaced the original storefront with large tin panels to “modernize” the façade and replaced the windows with glass brinks in the 1940’s and 1950’s.  

The two story section on the south side was built in 1927 for the Coplon Investment Company and occupied by Montgomery Ward’s until 1964 when it was leased by the Belk Department Store. The same large metal blocks were added to the façade to unite the two buildings into one, creating a  major anchor building in the central business district.

Belk remained downtown until 1979 when it joined in the exodus to the suburbs and relocated in the new Twin Rivers Mall. The large 57,000 square foot monolithic building added to the growing number of vacant deteriorating buildings, adding to downtown’s decline.

In a future blog, I will relate the challenges/hurdles Swiss Bear overcame that led to the rehabilitation of this major downtown anchor by a partnership of five committed New Bernians.  

Primary source: Historic Architecture of New Bern and Craven County, North Carolina,  Peter B. Sandbeck

Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director