Howard Theatre

Howard Theatre
Exterior of theatre after renovation (c. 2015)
Map
Address620 T St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20001-5117
LocationShaw
Coordinates38°54′55″N 77°01′25″W / 38.9152388°N 77.0237138°W / 38.9152388; -77.0237138
OwnerCouncil of the District of Columbia
OperatorBlue Note Entertainment Group
Capacity700 (Reserved)
1,200 (General Admission)
Construction
OpenedAugust 22, 1910 (1910-08-22)
Renovated1941, 1972, 2012
ArchitectJ. Edward Storck
Website
Venue Website
Building details
General information
OpenedApril 9, 2012 (2012-04-09)
Renovation cost$30 million
Renovating team
Renovating firmMartinez & Johnson Architecture, Marshall Moya Design
Structural engineerLundy & Franke Engineering
Services engineerMetropolitan Engineering
Civil engineerWiles Mensch Engineering
Main contractorWhiting-Turner
Awards and prizesDC Award for Excellence in Historic Resources (2012)
Howard Theatre
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts
Part ofGreater U Street Historic District[2]
NRHP reference No.74002162[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 15, 1974

The Howard Theatre is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. Opened in 1910, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[3]

In its heyday, the theater was known for catering to an African-American clientele, and had played host to many of the great Black musical artists of the early and mid-twentieth century. The Howard Theatre was billed as the "Theater of the People", and supported two theatrical organizations, the Lafayette Players and the Howard University Players.[4] In September 2010 extensive renovations were started to restore the theater to its former glory.[5] The theater reopened on April 9, 2012 to headline acts including Wanda Sykes, Blue Öyster Cult, and Chaka Khan, all of whom appeared in the first month after its reopening.[6]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Trieschmann, Laura V.; Sellin, Anne; Callcott, Stephen (November 1998), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Greater U Street Historic District (PDF), retrieved March 31, 2015.
  3. ^ Ganschinietz, Suzanne (30 August 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form / Howard Theater" (pdf). National Park Service.
    "Accompanying photo" (pdf). National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  4. ^ "Howard Theatre". African American Heritage Trail Database. Cultural Tourism DC. Archived from the original on 2006-10-18.
  5. ^ "Howard Theatre Renovation Begins with Groundbreaking". borderstan.com. 3 September 2010. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  6. ^ Dobson, Amy Rose (28 February 2012). "Howard Theatre Re-Opens This April With Many Famous Performers Scheduled To Appear". Curbed DC.