Attucks Theatre

Any updates?

The address for the Attucks Theatre is 1008 Church Street, Norfolk, Va.

Update:

The Attucks Theater is approaching the final phases of renovation. The new Balcony has been installed, box seats are being completed, and the building addition's drywall is ready for paint. The Livas Group Architects is the designer of record and the contractor is VIRTEXCO Corporation, both of Norfolk, VA. The first scheduled performance is Sept. 19, 2004.

By any chance does any one know if the Attacks was originally called the Booker T?

The Attucks was called the Booker T at one time. I'm not sure if that is the original name, though.

The address for this theater is 1010 Church St. The new name for this theater is the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center. The original architect is listed as Harvey N. Johnson a noted African-American architect. Here is a website with more info on this theater:
http://www.datatechcentral.com/attucks/history.htm

Two years ago, Armin Schallermeir, Project Superintendent for VIRTEXCO Corp., Bill Hickmann of NRHA, George Falkner, Project Architect of Livas Group and myself stood in the center of the auditorium of the theater. Plaster was hanging off rusted lath, paint was peeling off walls, pigeons flew thru openings in the roof, the balcony was barley stable, and the roof timbers were ready to fall in at any moment.

After two years of hard work involving many long hours of work and sleepless nights, the four of us were able to sit in that same auditorium and for the first time, realized the magnitude of what we were all a part of. Watching a performance where actors and musicians such as Duke Ellington once played, you really begin to understand the richness that the Theater has to offer to generations to come.

Rarely does the opportunity come along to be involved in such event as rebuilding and returning a building such as the Attucks Theater to its former beauty. I will be forever grateful for such an opportunity.

Brennan Raab
Project Manager, VIRTEXCO Corp.

The Restoration of the Attucks Theater has been awarded the 2004 National Award for Excellence in Construction by the Association of Builders and Contractors for renovations between $2 Million and $10 Million.

The theater once stood in a thriving and neat commercial area of shops and eateries.Seeing it sit alone and derelict for so long is just sad.Richmond has a similar area that still survives somewhat with a theater also.Both areas are victims of the same phenom.-the fleeing of middle-class blacks out of the inner city.The big difference in the two areas is the curse of "urban-renewal"passed the Richmond neighborhood by-although it did hit some other parts of Richmond with horrible results.(still hitting Richmond-drive down Broad St.)

The picture just shows the street front,not the big bulk of the bldg.Which brings up the seat figure.It looks like it would hold a lot more than 675 .

My image of the ATTUCKS theater www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/286343917

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982

Attucks Theatre ** (added 1982 - Building - #82004575)
1008--1012 Church St., Norfolk (Independent City)
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Architect, builder, or engineer: Johnson,Harvey N.
Architectural Style: No Style Listed
Area of Significance: Performing Arts, Architecture, Black
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use

An article and color photographs can be found on page 7 of today's real estate section of The New York Times. The website version omits a color photo of the auditorium taken from the stage, and also an aerial view of the building:
www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/realestate/01nati.html?

A Robert-Morton theater organ size 2/3 style 49 was installed in the Attucks Theater in 1925.

This is a 2008 photo.

Here is a 2009 photo.

Check out their webpage! They're open! A busy schedule of concerts and performing arts is listed. The auditorium has been beautifully restored with a pink and blue color scheme. Looks great!

Here is the National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the Attucks Theater and this is the photo that goes with the form.