National Theater, Richmond, Virginia

Last updated
The National
National Theater, Richmond, Virginia
Address708 E Broad St
Location Richmond, Virginia
Owner AEG Live
OperatorAEG Live
TypeTheater
Capacity 1,500
Construction
Opened1923
Renovated2009
Website
www.thenationalva.com
National Theater
National Theatre, Richmond, Virginia - Mar 1924 ETR.jpg
The National Theater in March, 1924
USA Virginia location map.svg
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Usa edcp location map.svg
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Location700-710 E. Broad St., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates 37°32′30″N77°26′9″W / 37.54167°N 77.43583°W / 37.54167; -77.43583
Arealess than one acre
ArchitectClaude K. Howell; Ferruccio Legnaioli
Architectural style Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No. 03000188 [1]
VLR No.127-0178
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 02, 2003
Designated VLRDecember 4, 2002 [2]

The National Theater is a historic theater in Richmond, Virginia. Part of a section of Broad Street once known as Theatre Row, the National is the only one of the three original auditoriums still standing. Built in 1923, the theater was constructed with an adaptable stage that allowed it to show early motion pictures as well as live performances. It experienced a 1968 conversion to a dedicated cinema house and was renamed the TowneTheater, in which capacity it operated until closing in 1983. After an extensive renovation, the theater reopened in 2008 as The National, serving as a live music and performing arts venue.

Contents

History

The National Theater's construction began in 1922 and was completed in 1923. [3] It was built in the Renaissance Revival style, with the street-facing sides finished in sandstone-colored brick with terracotta detailing. [3] A four-story central section is flanked to the east and west by two-story wings. [3] The street front portion of the first floor housed restaurant and retail space while the second and third contained offices. [3] The fourth floor was dominated by the theater's projection room and a billiard room was housed in the basement. [3] The auditorium itself originally sat 1,300, and features a large oval dome and considerable Adamesque plasterwork. [3] The orchestra pit sat 24 musicians and was considered the largest in Virginia. [3]

The theater opened on November 11, 1923 with a showing of Thomas Ince's film Her Reputation , which was attended by a crowd of 2,000 that included the governor of Virginia and the mayor of Richmond. [3] The National's stage was notable for its ability to convert from showing motion pictures to also stage live entertainment such as vaudeville shows. [3]

By 1966 the theater had come under the ownership of a Richmond-based firm that also owned the Colonial and State Theaters which constituted the rest of Theater Row. [3] The National received a 1968 renovation that rearranged seating in the auditorium's balcony, covered the orchestra pit, and painted over much of the intricate plasterwork. [3] It was also renamed as the Towne Theater. [3] Despite the new name and look, business continued to wane as more theaters opened in the suburbs, and by 1981 it was the last theater open in downtown Richmond. [3] It finally closed in 1983 and sat vacant for years afterward. [3] In 1991 the City of Richmond entered into an agreement with the state government and a local historical society to purchase Theater Row; the State Theater was razed, and the Colonial's façade was incorporated into a new social services building. [3] The National/Towne, meanwhile, began undergoing a gradual restoration by the Historic Richmond Foundation. [3]

The theater was sold in 2006 to a company that completed a $15 million renovation, and in 2008 it reopened as The National and is used as a 1,500-seat performing arts and music venue. [4] [5] In 2014, the venue was acquired by AEG Live. [6] [7]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 and is located in the Grace Street Commercial Historic District. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "National Theater Final Nomination" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Rehabilitation". Historic Richmond. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  5. ↑ "Official website". The National. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  6. ↑ Schwartz, Michael (2014-10-06). "The National's owners bow out". Richmond BizSense. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  7. ↑ Baldwin, Brent (2014-10-08). "A Concert Powerhouse". Style Weekly. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
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