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North Carolina Destinations Featured in “Leatherheads” Film

03-27-2008


 

 

 


List of film sites will lure film junkies and star-struck fans…many sites already welcome visitors with open arms.

Raleigh, NC (Mar. 26, 2008) “Leatherheads,” a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of America’s budding professional football league, premieres April 4, 2008. George Clooney and Renée Zellwegger star in the film. Much of the movie was shot in North Carolina and showcases North Carolina’s diverse geography.  Unique venues and unspoiled scenery provide the setting for the film's old-time charm and tradition.

Here’s the list of North Carolina film sites; not all are guaranteed to make the final film cut:

North Carolina Transportation Museum - Open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday through May 1; then every day until November 1. (Movie used this site to depict the interior and exterior of the train station, tracks and the back of Chicago Stadium)
411 S. Salisbury Ave., Spencer, NC 28159
704-636-2889; www.nctrans.org
    The North Carolina Transportation Museum is located on the site of what was once Southern Railway Company's largest steam locomotive repair facility. The site features an authentic train depot, antique automobiles and a 37-bay Roundhouse featuring 25 locomotives, dozens of rail cars and other exhibit areas. The museum offers seasonal train rides, guided tours for scheduled groups and special events scheduled throughout the year.

1908 Salisbury Railway Passenger Station - The station now offers space for special events. The station is open for tours by appointment. (Movie used this site to depict the interior and exterior of the Duluth Train Platform)
215 Depot St., Salisbury, NC 28145
704- 636-0103; www.historicsalisbury.org/museum_properties.asp?action=detail&id=2
    The Salisbury Railroad Passenger Station served as one of the Piedmont's gateways to the world and was a mainline station between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. At least 44 passenger trains passed through daily in 1911. As the automobile surged, train travel declined and the Salisbury station was ignored. It lay vacant for years, a victim of weather and neglect. In 1976, it was recognized in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1984, Historic Salisbury Foundation, Inc., took on the challenge of resurrecting this unique landmark and purchased it from the North Carolina Railroad Company and Norfolk Southern Company. Historic Salisbury Foundation spent more than $3.1 million to restore the Salisbury Station.

American Legion Memorial Stadium - Currently Independence High School occasionally uses the stadium for games against its rivals.
(Movie shot this to depict Chicago Field, the interior of Princeton Stadium and the exterior of the Big Stadium)
310 N. Kings Drive, Charlotte, NC 28204 www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Facilities/Event+Facilities/Memorial+Stadium.htm     
    Memorial Stadium is a 24,000 seat outdoor sports facility able to handle a wide arrange of sport and leisure activities, such as large outdoor concerts, festivals, college or high school football, soccer, rugby and lacrosse. The stadium was built in 1936 to honor soldiers who fell in World War I. The stadium has hosted events ranging from Presidential addresses to high school football games. It is located on a complex with the Grady Cole Center. Both are located next to Central Piedmont Community College.

World War Memorial Stadium - Greensboro College and North Carolina A&T continue to make use of this venerable facility as their home field.
510 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, NC 27405
www.gborocollege.edu/athletics/sports/baseball/Warmem.htm
    Also known as War Memorial Stadium, the site celebrated its 90th birthday in 2006 and continues to serve the community’s sporting events. The Greensboro Bats (now Grasshoppers), the city’s minor league baseball team, played at the venue until nearby First Horizon Park was completed in 2005.

Hagan-Stone Park – A public park.
(Movie shot used as exterior of the church)
5920 Hagan-Stone Park Rd., Pleasant Garden, NC 27313
336-674-0472; www.greensboro-nc.gov/Departments/Parks/facilities/regionalparks/haganstone/ 
    Hagan-Stone Park is a Greensboro public park. It features Camp Joy Activity Center (available for rental), a campground, cross-country running courses and the Oak Grove One-Room Schoolhouse. 

The Vance Hotel – Currently not open to visitors, but plans are underway to have the property open soon.
(Movie shot this site to depict the exterior of the Speakeasy rooftop and interiors of the Athletic Club, Duluth Hotel Pool, Emerson Dining Room and Ambassador Hotel)
226 South Center St.
Statesville, NC 28677
    The Vance Hotel is a historic property in downtown Statesville. It was built in 1922, the same year the American Professional Football Association changed its name to the National Football League. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel’s pool was restored for the movie. The hotel was also used as a location for the 1988 television movie, “A Stoning in Fulham County,” which included Brad Pitt. 

A few additional film locations are in use for daily business functions; some are not open to the public at all. Visitors can only view the exterior of the following sites. However, it’s fun to know they were included in the shooting list:

Winston-Salem City Hall
(Movie used the interior to depict a Chicago press conference)
101 North Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
www.ci.winston-salem.nc.us/Home/CityGovernment/CityManager/Articles/CityHallNationalRegister
    City Hall was built in 1926 and is Winston-Salem’s only example of Renaissance Revival civic architecture. The U.S. Department of the Interior has placed Winston-Salem’s City Hall on the National Register of Historic Places. City Hall remains largely intact as it was built, aside from renovations in the 1980s that replaced the windows and re-organized some interior spaces. It served continuously as the seat of city government until it was vacated in 2000 for extensive renovations that brought the building up to modern safety standards, installed new electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems and restored the first and second floors to their 1926 appearance. (Movie shot the exterior to depict Chicago Field and the interior of Princeton Tunnel)

Reynolds Building (Movie filmed the exterior for a shot where a newsboy sells papers)
401 N. Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
  The building is the headquarters for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The 20-story building was built in 1929 by architects Joshua Edwards and Chad Edwards who later designed the Empire State Building. They used the Reynolds building as a model. At 395 feet, it was the tallest office building south of Baltimore when completed. It was the winner of the 1984 Art Deco Society of New York award for best restoration. It is a private building, not open for tours.

Millennium Center (Movie shot the interiors to depict the Tribune Lobby, Duluth Hotel Speakeasy, Speakeasy Hallways, Ambassador Rooms and Hallway, Ceremony Hall, Army Press Briefings, and exterior of the Chicago Speakeasy).
101 W. 5th St., Winston-Salem, NC. 27101 
336-723-3500
    After the towns of Winston and Salem were consolidated in 1913, a new post office was built from Liberty to Trade, along Fifth Street.  Before the building was expanded in 1938, which doubled the floor space, adding 13,000 square feet to the back of the building, a work force of 40 including 14 letter carriers, 4 substitute carriers and 10 railway mail clerks were working in the building.  This facility also housed offices of the United States Deputy Marshall, District Attorney, Federal Prohibitions, and Navy Recruiting. 

Old City Hall, Statesville (Movie shot interiors and exteriors to depict the Commissioner’s office and Courthouse)
301 South Center St., Statesville, NC 28677
    The Commercial Historic District in Downtown Statesville contains important buildings including the old First National Bank building with its landmark clock tower and City Hall (the first post office/courthouse), the finest example of Romanesque architecture in the state of North Carolina. The first of many fires ravaged Statesville in 1855, destroying the majority of downtown buildings. Most of the existing downtown was built around the turn of the century with the majority of buildings dating from 1860 to about 1930.

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church (Movie filmed the site as a church)
9275 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury, NC 28146
704-633-3770; www.stmattch.com 
    St. Matthew's Lutheran Church was organized on Sunday, April 15, 1838, by Rev. Benjamin Arey, the church's first pastor. At the first communion service there were thirty-three people present. Many names found in these first communion records of 1838 are ancestors of church members that belong to St. Matthew's today. The corner stone of the sanctuary was laid on April 12, 1882. The belfry was erected in 1891. The wings were added in 1924. St. Matthew's continues the 1838 tradition of celebrating Homecoming on the fourth Sunday in August.

 
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The North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development worked with the film’s production company for months to secure film locati
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