Theatre Jacksonville

Theatre Jacksonville is a community theater based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States (Duval County). It is the oldest continuously-operating community theater in the state of Florida, and one of the oldest in the United States.[4] Its building, also known as the Little Theatre, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[5]

Little Theatre
Theatre Jacksonville is located in Florida
Theatre Jacksonville
Theatre Jacksonville is located in the United States
Theatre Jacksonville
LocationJacksonville
Coordinates30°19′51.86″N 81°40′8.01″W
Built1938[1]
ArchitectIvan H. Smith[1][2]
Architectural styleArt Deco[1][2]
NRHP reference No.91000895[3]
Added to NRHPJuly 12, 1991

History

The Little Theatre company was founded at Jacksonville, Florida in 1919 and then changed its name to "Little Theatre of Jacksonville" in 1926.[4] Cigar magnate Carl Swisher financed a new building in the San Marco neighborhood (2032 San Marco Boulevard) in 1927.[6] It took until January 4, 1938 for the first premiere to take place, namely Boy meets Girl.[6]

In 1969, because of its recent growth as a performance venue, the Little Theatre of Jacksonville became Theatre Jacksonville. Mayor Hans Tanzler issued a proclamation naming Theatre Jacksonville as Jacksonville's official theater.[7]

On July 12, 1991, the Little Theatre building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[5] The $500,000 Harold K. Smith Playhouse Endowment for facility maintenance was established in June, 1997. In October, 2000 the theater facade renovation was completed and the facility was formally dedicated as the Harold K. Smith Playhouse.[6]

References
  1. "Theatre Jacksonville". Florida Heritage Tourism Interactive Catalog. Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs. 2007-03-02.
  2. "National Register of Historic Places - Florida (FL), Duval County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-03-02.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. Pittman, Laura Jane (29 August 2019). "Lasting Legacy: Celebrating 100 Years of Theatre Jacksonville". Arbus Magazine. pp. 24–28. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023.
  5. "NPGallery Asset Detail: "Little Theatre"". National Park Gallery. National Park Service. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  6. "The 100-Year History of Theatre Jacksonville". The Coastal. 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  7. Pittman, Laura Jane (29 August 2019). "Lasting Legacy: Celebrating 100 Years of Theatre Jacksonville". Arbus Magazine. p. 27.


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