Newton
Newton, NC · Arts & Culture
Bertie Ledger-Advance
‘Every little detail tells a story’: Todd Hotel restoration honors family legacy
TODD — The Todd Hotel has been in John Baker’s family for seven generations, and he is now restoring it to its former glory. The property and hotel — an 1840s Appalachian farmhouse, built in the Greek Revival style and renovated in Victorian style — has been in the family since before the railroad came to Todd. The hotel’s first known mention in print came in 1885, when the Watauga Democrat called it a boarding house, Baker said. In 1909, his great-great-great-grandfather, Felix McGuire, purchased the hotel and farm. Baker said he believes his family bought it expecting prosperity would follow the railroad to the area. Felix’s son, T.A. McGuire, and T.A.’s wife, Mae McGuire, took over in 1912 — adding more guest rooms and renovating the hotel in the ornate Victorian style that survives today. “What was more of a simple farmhouse, they expanded into a really grand hotel — in a very optimistic way,” Baker said. “It’s really kind of based on things they saw — styles from New York — to make a really grand impression on visitors that would be coming from all over the world.” At its peak from the 1910s through the 1930s, the
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Charlotte Observer
Charlotte-raised Ayesha Curry is starring in a new movie. Here's how to watch
Ayesha Curry, who grew up in Charlotte, is starring in her first leading film role. The actress, restaurateur and wife of NBA champion Stephen Curry, is the main character in “Second Chance Holiday,” a romantic comedy that premiered Thursday, Nov. 5. You can watch the movie on The Roku Channel and on the streaming service’s website, a spokesperson told CharlotteFive via email. FULL STORY: NC’s Ayesha Curry will star in a new movie. Here’s what we know Here's what else to know about the movie and its lead actress: Ayesha Curry, 37, plays Chelsey, a dating expert trying to “break her so-called ‘curse’ of always getting dumped during the holiday season. But when fate reunites her with her high school flame (Matthew Daddario), she wonders if her bad luck might just be the universe’s way of leading her back to her first love,” Roku wrote in a news release. The actress told The Hollywood Reporter playing the lead role fulfills a dream. “I love acting so much, whether it’s in the theater or on film. But now I have the bug. I’m like, ‘What are we going to do next?’” Ayesha Curry was born in Canada and raised in North