There are many landmarks in Elizabethton, but none more special than the Bonnie Kate Theater. For today’s generation, the Bonnie Kate is just another dilapidated old building in the downtown, but for their moms and dads and grandparents, it is a place that holds special memories.
The Elizabethton-Carter County Community Foundation is working to restore the old theater back to its former glory. The building, now owned by the City of Elizabethton, dates back to 1926 when Mrs. Ollie Browning, a coal baroness from West Virginia, moved to Elizabethton and built the theater. The theater, like many other small businesses, succumbed to big-box theaters and modernization.
The Bonnie Kate is now undergoing a transformation, and the Elizabethton-Carter County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the East Tennessee Foundation, Saturday is hosting a fundraiser – the first-ever BBQ, Blues, and Brews Festival for the city – in an effort to raise restoration funds for the old theater building. The organization was instrumental in raising funds for the purchase of the building.
Money raised Saturday will go toward making sure the Bonnie Kate has a new roof, a priority. The hope is to convert the old theater into a community arts center.
The event will be held at the Covered Bridge Park from 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Why is the theater worth saving? Our past is a part of us. It is the material from which memories are made. It is our past that helps shape the future and often becomes a blueprint for the things that we envision for the next generation.
What is historic and worth saving often varies from person to person. Someone has defined “historic” as “old and worth the trouble.” The Bonnie Kate Theater fits that definition. It is definitely a part of Elizabethton’s tangible past, and it is a building that can offer opportunities for the city’s future.
When you tear down an old building, you never know what’s being destroyed. So many now wish that the old Lynnwood Hotel had never been demolished, that it had been restored. A small part of Elizabethton’s history was destroyed when the old hotel building was razed.
New building makes sense for major chain stores, but other businesses – such as bookstores, restaurants, arts centers, etc. can thrive in old buildings such as the Bonnie Kate.
As with the Lynnwood Hotel, regret only goes one way. Author Jack Neely in his piece, “Nine Practical Reasons to Save Old Buildings,” writes “The preservation of historic buildings is a one-way street. Once a building is razed, there is never a chance to save it or renovate it. Once a piece of history is destroyed, it is lost forever.”
So true. The Bonnie Kate is an important part of our cultural heritage. But, even more important is its preservation may even start the beginning of a new tradition, a festival that brings people together just like the Bonnie Kate did in its glory days. And, what better tradition could it be – BBQ, Blues and Brews. If you haven’t got your ticket, there’s still time. Tickets are $30, or without beer $20. For more information, call (423) 278-6207 or (423) 341-3459.
Something good may be just brewing for Elizabethton’s future.