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The Art House Golden Era (1948–1960s):

The building was converted into a 400-seat cinema by architects Simon Zelnik and Milton Kirchman, opening on April 27, 1948, with the film The Search. The opening was a major high-society event attended by First Lady Bess Truman and her daughter Margaret.

Boasting a distinctive dove-gray and coral interior and an art gallery in the basement lounge, it became one of D.C.’s most upscale venues for foreign films and art-house cinema under the operation of Louise Noonan Miller and Ilya Lopert. It was acquired by Trans-Lux Theatres in 1959:

In its later years, the theater transitioned to showing adult films. It officially closed its doors in 1984. Since its closure, the building has been repurposed as a restaurant, a copy shop, and ultimately transformed into a commercial office building.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -