The Attucks Theatre, located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, was financed, designed and constructed by

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

entrepreneurs in 1919. The theatre was designed by Harvey Johnson, an African-American architect. The theatre was named in honor of

Crispus Attucks Crispus Attucks ( – March 5, 1770) was an American whaler, sailor, and stevedore of African and Native American descent, commonly regarded as the first person killed in the Boston Massacre and thus the first American killed in the Amer ...

, an African American who was the first patriot to lose his life in the Revolutionary War. When it was first opened, Attucks Theatre was known as the "

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

of the South." It has hosted performers ranging from Cab Calloway to Redd Foxx. The theater hosted numerous famous entertainers through the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s, including Norfolk's Gary U.S. Bonds and Portsmouth's Ruth Brown. The theater was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on September 16, 1982. After a three-year restoration, the theatre reopened in 2004 as a partnership between the City of Norfolk's Department of Cultural Facilities and the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center. The theatre is located at the intersection of Church Street and

Virginia Beach Boulevard Virginia Beach Boulevard is a major connector highway which carries U.S. Route 58 most of its length and extends from the downtown area of Norfolk to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach, passing through the newly developed New Urbanist Town Ce ...

, near Norfolk's entertainment and cultural attractions, including

Harbor Park Harbor Park is a stadium, used primarily for baseball, on the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Once rated the best minor league stadium by ''Baseball America'', it is home to the Norfolk Tides Minor League Baseball team. The Tid ...

Harrison Opera House The Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House, also known as the Harrison Opera House, is the official home of the Virginia Opera in the Neon District of Downtown Norfolk on the border of the Ghent Square neighborhood. Built as a public wor ...

Norfolk Scope Norfolk Scope is a multi-function complex in Norfolk, Virginia, comprising an 11,000-person arena, a 2,500-person theater known as Chrysler Hall, a exhibition hall and a 600-car parking garage. The arena was designed by Italian architect/engin ...

, Wells Theatre and Waterside. Today, the Norfolk theatre is formally known as The Crispus Attucks Cultural Center. After extensive renovations, the theatre re-opened in October 2004. The theatre is currently owned and operated by SevenVenues, a department of the City of Norfolk.

References

External links

Official site

City of Norfolk's ''Seven Venues'' Official site
African-American history of Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Norfolk, Virginia Theatres completed in 1919 Theatres in Virginia Culture of Norfolk, Virginia Buildings and structures in Norfolk, Virginia Tourist attractions in Norfolk, Virginia Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia 1919 establishments in Virginia {{NorfolkVA-NRHP-stub