Just ahead on your left is the Joe and Barbara Schwartz Center, a large brick arena marked by a towering glass entrance and the Cape Fear Community College logo.
The story of this modern arena is rooted in fierce loyalty, both in love and basketball. Joe and Barbara Schwartz shared a deeply harmonious marriage... except regarding sports. Barbara was a Duke University graduate, while Joe was a University of North Carolina alumnus. They spent countless hours side by side, vocally rooting against each other's alma mater.
But Barbara's life was about far more than just friendly rivalries. Beneath her philanthropic exterior was a powerhouse of political and personal resilience. In 1980, she served as a voting delegate for Ted Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention. When Joe passed away in 1992, her world was thrown into sudden turbulence. Yet, she stepped right up. She took over his furniture business and threw her energy into the community, eventually chairing the college board. In 1998, her generous donation in Joe's memory kickstarted the ten million dollar project that built this eighteen thousand square foot arena.
Opening in 2000, the building soon stepped into a very different spotlight. If this entrance looks familiar, it is because it famously doubled as Tree Hill High School for the hit television drama One Tree Hill. Devoted fans still make pilgrimages here to photograph the iconic brick walls. They also head to the rear of the facility, which stood in for Whitey Durham's Field House, the home gym of the Tree Hill Ravens. The show used this space for emotionally charged moments, from a glorious state championship victory to a harrowing school shooting episode.
Beyond television drama, the arena has hosted intense real-world political theater. In 2008, over two thousand supporters packed inside when presidential nominee John McCain held a major town hall rally to challenge Barack Obama on economic policies.
Continually updated by a recent four million dollar renovation, this arena proves how personal grit and generosity can permanently shape a city's landscape. Now, let us shift from modern philanthropy to historic commerce, as we take a brief six minute walk to the Cotton Exchange.
