Jefferson Theater History 1901-2002

The History of the Jefferson Theater
The Jefferson is in the Charlottesville Charlottesville and Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District&emdash; which is on both the state and national registers&emdash; and is listed on the National Register as important to the character of the entire district.

Built as a bank
In 1901 the newly-chartered Jefferson National Bank constructed its first building at this site on land recently purchased by C.J. Rixey, one of the bank's founding directors. Constructed of grey, rusticated brick, the Jefferson National Bank was a two-story, Greek Revival structure with five ionic columns of matching brick and terra cotta trim. Two large Romanesque arches provided revolving door access to the lobby and banking rooms. W.T. Vandegrift of Charlottesville was the architect. In 1912, the bank decided to move its headquarters down the street. Kendler-Zimmerman Co. (later Jefferson-Lafayette Theaters, Inc.) purchased the building at auction, extensively remodeled the interior, and built the enormous theater stretching all the way back to Water Street. The architect for all this work was W.W. Keenan of Charlottesville.The Jefferson Theater had its gala opening October 21, 1912 with a New York troupe's performance of The Man from Home, a comedy starring William Hodge. Admission price for the opening night performance was $1.00 - $2.50.

Fire in the theater!!--1915
In the early years, the fare alternated between motion pictures and live theater, but the fun was short-lived. A January 1915 fire gutted the theater &emdash; though the front of the building and the stage were saved. (Remnants of charred beams can still be seen in the attic high above the stage.)

Prominent Richmond architect C.K. Howell (who designed the National and Empire Theaters in Richmond) was summoned in 1915 to rebuild after the fire, and the theater was reopened before the year was over.

A new front
The façade as it's now seen today arrived with another remodeling in the fall of1925. This included building some office spaces and apartments above the lobby. This project included adding an impressive iron marquee and a large vertical "Jefferson" sign, but both were removed in the 1960s.

The Jefferson as seen in 1948.

The 1960s

The 1960s saw the movie operator, Neighborhood Theaters, opt for greener pastures, such as Barracks Road, so the owner, Jefferson-Lafayette Theaters, Inc. sold the building in 1966 to H-F Corporation, which sold it in 1969 to Jefferson Theater Building Co. Inc., a team composed of four local businessmen: Alton Martin, Robert Stroh, Harold Wright, and James Graves. They installed new seating to replace the original narrow seats and renamed it the "Cinema Theater." Some of those old seats (which are narrow and uncomfortable) were moved up to the "Peanut Gallery," the balcony which had previously offered just bench seating. Stroh and Graves bought out the other owners in 1978, and Alton Martin became the sole owner in 1981.

Amid growing pressure from suburban cineplexes in late 1983, Martin had the mezzanine separated to make a new cinema, switched the format to second-run films, and renamed it "The Movie Palace." While some people criticize Martin's decision to split the theater, his foresight in that regard helped ensure the building's economic viability.

Name that theater!
The Jefferson ceased using its original name in 1969 after its purchase by the four local businessmen, who called it
"The Cinema."

In 1979 when the photo at right was shot, the Jefferson had adopted a more ribald repertoire and was often humorously called "The Scinema."

During the 1980s, the theater was called "The Movie Palace." The original name returned in 1993.

Performing arts?
In the late 1980s, a group calling itself the Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center hired a consultant to explore the possibility of renovating the building as an arts center. The group's board included such local notables as Mayor Frank Buck and socialite Patricia Kluge. But a pricey renovation estimate and uneasy negotiations caused them to pass up this building and disband in 1988. After Martin's death in early 1990 and amid ever-increasing numbers of multiplex theaters on Rt. 29, the Movie Palace's business suffered. In early 1992, Martin's estate defaulted on its loan from Crestar bank, which sold the building at auction to Portico Properties Land Trust, a group led by local newspaper editor/publisher Hawes Spencer.

This is how the ceiling looked before winter '02-'03 plaster repairs. Someday in the not too distant future, we will re-create the plasterwork that must have left that trapezoidal path.

Today
The building is being slowly restored. Because of his day job at the newspaper, The Hook, the owner is rarely on site, but he's left the place in extremely capable hands, as the employees are brighter and more engaged than typical movie theater staffers.

(Yesterday)
Many incredible performers have thrilled audiences at the Jefferson: Dave Matthews, Harry Houdini, Terri Allard, and more. Check 'em out.

Home

The Jefferson is Charlottesville's oldest theater!

	Built as a bank In 1901 the newly-chartered Jefferson National Bank constructed its first building at this site on land recently purchased by C.J. Rixey, one of the bank's founding directors. Constructed of grey, rusticated brick, the Jefferson National Bank was a two-story, Greek Revival structure with five ionic columns of matching brick and terra cotta trim. Two large Romanesque arches provided revolving door access to the lobby and banking rooms. W.T. Vandegrift of Charlottesville was the architect. In 1912, the bank decided to move its headquarters down the street. Kendler-Zimmerman Co. (later Jefferson-Lafayette Theaters, Inc.) purchased the building at auction, extensively remodeled the interior, and built the enormous theater stretching all the way back to Water Street. The architect for all this work was W.W. Keenan of Charlottesville.The Jefferson Theater had its gala opening October 21, 1912 with a New York troupe's performance of The Man from Home, a comedy starring William Hodge. Admission price for the opening night performance was $1.00 - $2.50.
Fire in the theater!!--1915 In the early years, the fare alternated between motion pictures and live theater, but the fun was short-lived. A January 1915 fire gutted the theater &emdash; though the front of the building and the stage were saved. (Remnants of charred beams can still be seen in the attic high above the stage.) Prominent Richmond architect C.K. Howell (who designed the National and Empire Theaters in Richmond) was summoned in 1915 to rebuild after the fire, and the theater was reopened before the year was over.
A new front The façade as it's now seen today arrived with another remodeling in the fall of1925. This included building some office spaces and apartments above the lobby. This project included adding an impressive iron marquee and a large vertical "Jefferson" sign, but both were removed in the 1960s. The Jefferson as seen in 1948.
	The 1960s The 1960s saw the movie operator, Neighborhood Theaters, opt for greener pastures, such as Barracks Road, so the owner, Jefferson-Lafayette Theaters, Inc. sold the building in 1966 to H-F Corporation, which sold it in 1969 to Jefferson Theater Building Co. Inc., a team composed of four local businessmen: Alton Martin, Robert Stroh, Harold Wright, and James Graves. They installed new seating to replace the original narrow seats and renamed it the "Cinema Theater." Some of those old seats (which are narrow and uncomfortable) were moved up to the "Peanut Gallery," the balcony which had previously offered just bench seating. Stroh and Graves bought out the other owners in 1978, and Alton Martin became the sole owner in 1981. Amid growing pressure from suburban cineplexes in late 1983, Martin had the mezzanine separated to make a new cinema, switched the format to second-run films, and renamed it "The Movie Palace." While some people criticize Martin's decision to split the theater, his foresight in that regard helped ensure the building's economic viability.
Name that theater! The Jefferson ceased using its original name in 1969 after its purchase by the four local businessmen, who called it "The Cinema." In 1979 when the photo at right was shot, the Jefferson had adopted a more ribald repertoire and was often humorously called "The Scinema." During the 1980s, the theater was called "The Movie Palace." The original name returned in 1993.
Performing arts? In the late 1980s, a group calling itself the Thomas Jefferson Cultural Center hired a consultant to explore the possibility of renovating the building as an arts center. The group's board included such local notables as Mayor Frank Buck and socialite Patricia Kluge. But a pricey renovation estimate and uneasy negotiations caused them to pass up this building and disband in 1988. After Martin's death in early 1990 and amid ever-increasing numbers of multiplex theaters on Rt. 29, the Movie Palace's business suffered. In early 1992, Martin's estate defaulted on its loan from Crestar bank, which sold the building at auction to Portico Properties Land Trust, a group led by local newspaper editor/publisher Hawes Spencer.
This is how the ceiling looked before winter '02-'03 plaster repairs. Someday in the not too distant future, we will re-create the plasterwork that must have left that trapezoidal path.
Today The building is being slowly restored. Because of his day job at the newspaper, The Hook, the owner is rarely on site, but he's left the place in extremely capable hands, as the employees are brighter and more engaged than typical movie theater staffers. (Yesterday) Many incredible performers have thrilled audiences at the Jefferson: Dave Matthews, Harry Houdini, Terri Allard, and more. Check 'em out.