Chase's Theater and Riggs Building

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Chase's Theater and Riggs Building
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Chase's Theater and Riggs Building in 2011
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Location1426 G Street and 615-627 15th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°53′53.2″N77°1′59.9″W / 38.898111°N 77.033306°W / 38.898111; -77.033306
Built1912
Architect Jules Henri de Sibour
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
NRHP reference No. 78003053 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 7, 1978

The Chase's Theater and Riggs Building, also known as the Keith-Albee Theater and the Keith-Albee Building, was a historic building located at 1426 G Street and 615-627 15th Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the city's Downtown area.

Contents

History

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Keith theater in 1979

The Beaux-Arts theater was originally designed by Jules Henri de Sibour, and built in 1912, for Plimpston B. Chase. He sold the theater to B.F. Keith in 1913. [2] It was a part of the B.F. Keith vaudeville circuit, which became a part of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum chain, and then RKO Pictures. William Howard Taft attended the opening in 1912, and Woodrow Wilson regularly attended. Entertainers included: Will Rogers, Eddie Cantor, Rudy Vallée, Laurel and Hardy, and ZaSu Pitts.

In 1956, RKO sold the building, to Morris Cafritz for $1.55 million. In 1959, he offered to sell the building to the city as a performing arts center, but the city would not assume the $1.5 million mortgage. The movie theater closed in 1978; it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In March 1978, the United States Commission of Fine Arts recommended saving the facade of the Keith-Albee Theater and National Metropolitan Bank. [3] [4] [5]

In 1979, the D.C. Superior Court halted demolition of the Keith Albee building, [6] but then allowed demolition of the interior. [7] The developer said he would preserve the historic facade of the Keith-Albee theater building, if he could demolish Rhodes' Tavern. [8]

It is now the Metropolitan Square office building. [9]

See also

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References

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  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/78003053_text
  3. "The Battle to Save Rhodes Tavern: A Chronology." The Washington Post September 11, 1984.
  4. Gerard Martin Moeller; Christopher Weeks (2006). AIA guide to the architecture of Washington, Part 3. JHU Press. ISBN   978-0-8018-8468-9.
  5. Perl, Peter. "Panel Approves Rhodes Demolition, Calls for Delay Pending Vote in Fall." Washington Post. May 11, 1983
  6. "Court Order Temporarily Halts Demolition of Albee-Keith Facade." The Washington Post C4. April 24, 1979
  7. Wheeler, Linda. "Solomon-Like Court Order Is Slicing District's Historic Keith-Albee Building." Washington Post. June 15, 1979
  8. Oman, Anne H. "Developer Has New Plan For Historic Buildings." Washington Post. August 2, 1979.
  9. "Boston Properties: Washington DC: Metropolitan Square". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-10-22.