The Carver Theater is a former

movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...

located in the

Anacostia Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is nam ...

neighborhood of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

History

The building opened in 1948 and is of the

Streamline Moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...

style of architecture. It was built by John Jacob Zink and held upwards of 500 people seated. The Carver Theater closed in the 1960s only to reopen in 1967 as the first home of the

Anacostia Community Museum The Anacostia Community Museum (known colloquially as the ACM) is a community museum in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is one of twenty museums under the umbrella of the Smithsonian Institution and was the ...

. The museum moved from the theater in 1987. Currently, the theater is undergoing renovations to serve as a training center for the Good Samaritan Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by

Art Monk James Arthur Monk (born December 5, 1957) is a retired American football wide receiver who played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins, New York Jets, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He is considered by many NFL players, coaches and analysts t ...

. In 2001, the city of Washington agreed to a 20-year lease with the organization. As of 2008, the building has undergone few renovations. Almost $1 million has been invested in the building through grants and donations. In 2004, the city sold the building to the foundation for $255,235 in the hope they would "restore and reoccupy Carver Theater."

References

{{reflist African-American history of Washington, D.C. Anacostia Cinemas and movie theaters in Washington, D.C. Former cinemas in the United States Streamline Moderne architecture in Washington, D.C. Unused buildings in Washington, D.C. Cinema of Washington, D.C. 1948 establishments in Washington, D.C. Theatres completed in 1948