Town Hall Arts Center, formerly the Littleton Town Hall, is located in downtown
Littleton,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
and has been a local professional theatre, producing
comedies
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term origin ...
,
musicals and
plays
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* P ...
to the
Denver metropolitan area for over 30 years.
[ With ] The building was designated a
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 4, 1980.
Littleton Town Hall (1920–1977)
Designed by Colorado architect
Jacques Benedict
Jules Jacques Benois Benedict (April 22, 1879 – January 16, 1948) was one of the most prominent architects in Colorado history, whose works include a number of well-known landmarks and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Place ...
and built in 1920 as a new center for civic activities, the
Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...
building contained the treasurer's office, council chambers, fire truck and hose rooms, and a large second-floor auditorium. The design was inspired by the
Palazzo della Ragione in
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
, northern Italy, yet it has American elements like an eagle in the
lunettes over the second story windows and the Colorado state flower, the
Columbine on the facade.
The floor plan was modified beginning in the 1950s to add offices. The Town Hall was one of the first buildings designated under the historic preservation ordinance in 1972. A new office building was occupied by the City of Littleton in 1977. Through
fundraising and other efforts, it opened as a
performing arts center
Performing arts center/centre (see spelling differences), often abbreviated as PAC, is used to refer to:
* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre.
:The ...
and
art gallery in 1983.
Town Hall Arts Center (since 1983)
Town Hall Arts Center is now a live theater, cultural center, and art gallery, offering six main stage musicals or comedies and seven to eight concerts during the September through June production season. The theater program for children produces two shows annually with professional actors. Classes are held throughout the year for students aged seven to seventeen in stage craft, acting, and creative dramatics.
References
Further reading
* - Information about how the Town Hall Arts Center programs were developed
External links
{{commons category
Official Town Hall Arts Center WebsiteHistory and photographs of the old Town Hallat
Historic American Buildings Survey
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
Italianate architecture in Colorado
Government buildings completed in 1920
Theatres in Colorado
City and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado
Littleton, Colorado
Buildings and structures in Arapahoe County, Colorado
Tourist attractions in Arapahoe County, Colorado
National Register of Historic Places in Arapahoe County, Colorado