The Southgate House, the historic Newport mansion-turned-music club that has been hailed as one of the best concert venues in the country, will shut its doors after New Year’s Eve, its owners announced Monday.
“While we are deeply saddened to close ... it’s been a great run and it’s been a great privilege to be the steward of such a grand building all these years,” Ross Raleigh said in a statement.
On Facebook, the team posted: "We look forward to opening our business in a new location soon. Thank you for the wonderful memories and your support."
The Dec. 31 closing show is a “whole-house” event, with 14 bands playing in all three performance spaces. The headliners are Cincinnati pop-punk trio the Dopamines, who are celebrating their five-year anniversary. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the door for the 18-and-older show, which begins at 9 p.m.
An update: The historic building at 34 E. Third St. in Newport had been owned by Ross Raleigh, who runs the day-to-day business of the club; his sister, Armina "Mina" Lee, who also owns the Brass Ass adult club in Newport; her husband, Roger Petersen; and another sister, Nancy Young. But a recently settled legal battle between the siblings has put the majority ownership of the club in the hands of Lee and Petersen.
Lee and Petersen said that Raleigh declined an option to buy or lease the Southgate House in favor of moving the business to an as-yet unannounced location, and that they bought out his share in the Newport property. Lee and Petersen also told The Enquirer that they plan to renovate the Southgate House building and will lease or sell it. They said they want it to continue to operate it as a music venue.
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