Sylvan Theater
106-112 Rhode Island Avenue NW,
Washington,
DC
20001
106-112 Rhode Island Avenue NW,
Washington,
DC
20001
No one has favorited this theater yet
The American Theater opened in 1913 with about 300 seats (later enlarged to 750). The architect was N.T. Haller who designed a facade of Pompeian brick with white marble trim.
In March 1929 it was re-named the Sylvan Theatre and was managed by Sylvan Deitz. In 1950 it became an African-American theatre serving that community thru to at least 1955. The Sylvan closed as a movie theatre in 1965 and it became a nightclub known as the Metropole and also an antique store.
The building is currently used as a laundromat and for other retail use.
Contributed by
Lost Memory, Howard B. Haas
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
This is a recent photo of the former Sylvan Theater building.
A 1948 Times Herald lists the Sylvan as a “Bernheimer"s Theatre at 104 RI Ave N.W Telephone NO-9689,, Ad reads, "Scientifically Air-Conditioned” Double Feature, “Return of the Whistler” Michael Duane, Lenore Aubert and “The Dead Don’t Dream” William Boyd Matinee at 1 P.M
1960&61 Yellow Pages list the Sylvan but not as a Louis Bernheim Theatre.. At 104 RI Ave N.W. telephone NO-7-9689
Here is another photo of the Sylvan Theater building.
It is difficult to tell what if anything remains of the Sylvan’s auditorium. Most of the area which has been converted to retain seems only to cover what would have been the theatre lobby.
The Sylvan closed on July 22, 1965 with the double bill of “Dr. No” and “From Russia, With Love”.