The Hippodrome Theater

The Hippodrome Theater c. 1959

The Hippodrome Theater 2017

Name of the site: Hippodrome Theater

Date of construction: 1914

Reason for construction:

It was built to be a vaudeville and a movie theater. A vaudeville is a type of entertainment that takes on a variety of acts and genres. Upon its opening, it was considered part of the Chitlin’ circuit, a group of venues in the Southern United States that were considered safe for African American musicians and performers to play.

History of the site:

The Hippodrome theater was opened in 1914 on 2nd street by Charles A. Somma. At the time of its opening, second street was known as ‘The Deuce’, and it was the site of many stores, restaurants, and theaters in Richmond’s African-American community and was home to a large nightlife. Through the 1920’s and 1940’s, The Hippodrome Theater served as one of Jackson Ward’s main attractions, which was known as the ‘Harlem of the South’ at the time. Due to the large African American community, the Hippodrome became part of the Chitlin’ Circuit, which was term used for venues in the Southern, Eastern, and Midwestern United States that were safe for african-american musicians and performers to play. As part of this circuit, The Hippodrome brought wonderful black musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Lee Taylor, Ida Cox, and Nat King Cole to Richmond. In 1945 the Hippodrome caught fire for unknown reasons, although most likely faulty electrical wiring. After extensive remodeling, it reopened in 1947 with an art-deco design and modern technology such as air conditioning. Throughout the 1950’s it served primarily as a movie theater before closing again in 1967. In the 1970’s the theater served as a church for a brief period of time before it briefly re-opened for film showings in 1982. In 2009 renovations began on the theater and in 2011 it reopened mainly as a private event venue.

History of the surrounding area:

The theater is located in the heart of Jackson Ward on 2nd street. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Jackson Ward was one of the most important black neighborhoods in the South and in the United States. It was first settled by Italian, Jewish, and German immigrants but free blacks began moving into the neighborhood during the mid-nineteenth century. By the end of the Civil War, the area was predominantly African American, and in 1871, Ulysses S. Grant named the area Jackson Ward. Jackson Ward eventually became a thriving black community which figures such as Maggie L. Walker and John Mitchell Jr. called home. 2nd street, the street which the Hippodrome is on, was also known as ‘The Deuce’, and it was home to many business and restaurants. This center of commerce helped give Jackson Ward the name ‘The Harlem of the South’. Next to the theater is the Speakeasy Grill which is located in the Taylor Mansion, a home owned by Rev. W.L. Taylor. Taylor was known for co-founding the first chartered African American bank. It was built in 1895 and at the time of its construction, it was the largest home of a black American in the United States with a total of 33 rooms. Starting in the 1950’s, Jackson Ward began to decline as a thriving African American community. The construction of Interstate 95 effectively split the community into two, and the proposal for low-income housing displaced many families and businesses. Interestingly, the Civil Rights Movement did not help the prosperity of Jackson Ward even though it helped the prosperity of African Americans. As the city became less segregated small businesses closed and gave way to larger retail stores. Additionally the neighborhood lost some of its culture as an all-black community.

Changes to the site:

The Hippodrome has changed a lot since it first opened. First off, its appearance was changed after it caught fire in 1945. Before the fire, the Hippodrome could hold approximately 1,050 people. After the fire, it was remodeled in an art deco design, which was popular for movie theaters in the late 1940’s and its seating capacity was reduced to approximately 850 seats. Additionally, its purpose has changed a lot over time. When it first opened it helped bring the arts into Richmond. It attracted musicians, comedians, and other performers that helped give Jackson Ward the name ‘The Harlem of the South’. After it caught fire however, it became a movie theater and lost most of its live performances. Later in 1970, it became a church for a short period of time before closing again and re-opening as a movie theater. Now it serves as a private event venue in Richmond.

Changes to the surrounding area:

Interstate 95 has now cut Jackson Ward into two which kind of split the community up. Even though bridges make it easy to pass over the interstate, the sense of community is not the same as it was before. Additionally as the Civil Rights Movement succeeded in its battle, Jackson Ward became less segregated and lost some of its culture as an all-black neighborhood. Due in part to desegregation and also the closing of the Hippodrome as a venue for live performances, 2nd street is no longer known as Deuce street and Jackson Ward is no longer known as the ‘Harlem of the South’. The Taylor Mansion is now the Speakeasy Grill and many of the mom and pop stores have sold out to larger chain stores.

Reflection:

I started this project hoping to get some insight into the Prom venue and left with a much broader understanding of the Hippodrome and Jackson Ward as a whole. I never knew that Richmond was home to such a vibrant African American community and culture and I think that it is extremely interesting that Jackson Ward was once called the ‘Harlem of the South’. Also I assumed that the Civil Rights Movement was entirely good for all African Americans, and I was surprised to learn that while extremely necessary and beneficial, it also had some consequences in the black community. Before this project I assumed that the Hippodrome Theater was a movie theater built in the 1950’s and I think it is really cool to know that it was once a venue for live performances. Even more, I never would have expected that any familiar names such as Nat King Cole would have played there.

Bibliography:

“History.” The Hippodrome Theater. Accessed March 16, 2017. http://www.hippodromerichmond.com/about/history/.

“History.” The Speakeasy Grill. Accessed March 16, 2017. http://mansionfive26.com/about/history/.

Roe, Ken. “Hippodrome Theatre.” Cinema Treasures. Accessed March 16, 2017. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11522.

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. “Jackson Ward Historic District.” African American Historic Sites Database. Accessed March 16, 2017. http://www.aahistoricsitesva.org/items/show/221?tour=14&index=17.