by Ben Steelman, StarNews April, 2009
Carolina Moon Pavilion c. 1912
NHC Library – Louis T. Moore Collection
An early Carolina Beach landmark was the Carolina Moon, a dance pavilion (designed by Henry A. Bonitz, the same architect who designed Lumina at Wrightsville Beach) that opened on May 1, 1911.
With 13,000 feet of floor space, it was billed as the largest ballroom south of Washington, D.C.
The facility also boasted a bowling alley, a 14-foot veranda that stretched around the entire building and a modern acetylene lighting system.
The Carolina Moon was destroyed, along with the Bame Hotel and two solid blocks of Boardwalk businesses, in a massive fire on Sept. 19, 1940.
Over the years, the Pavilion was called many names – by Elaine Blackmon Henson
‘Carolina Moon, Carolina Club Casino, Carolina Club’
Carolina Beach Pavilion, Largest on South Atlantic Coast – 1911
– Wilmington Morning Star, January 22, 1911
What is the Boardwalk? – Ben Steelman – StarNews, April, 2009