Bertha Holliday: Statement of Significance from the application for historic landmark status for the American Theater (the current Sylvan Theater)

From:  Bertha Holliday

Sent: Thursday, September 7, 2017 9:48 AM

Below is STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE from application for historical landmark status for the American Theater (aka the Sylvan Theater) for posting.      Bertha

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Summary Statement of Significance:

A popular venue for entertainment and community events for one hundred years, the American Theatre building has served as an anchor for Bloomingdale during periods of stability and of change. Constructed in 1913 to plans by prominent local architect Nicholas T. Haller, it constituted a prime factor in the development of the neighborhood.  Owner Jesse R. Sherwood’s theater, in conjunction with his nearby row of shops, brought a true commercial and community center to the community. In this way it is a perfect example of the role such theaters played throughout the District. The building exterior has kept much of its architectural integrity, although its auditorium space has been stripped of its theatrical elements. The structure continues to serve as a social center for the Bloomingdale community through its several shops and restaurants. 

The American Theatre is also significant for its association with the Black American Theater (BAT) , among the earliest, if not the earliest, significant theatrical company produced by the cultural flowering that accompanied the political self-empowerment of the District of Columbia’s African-American community and anticipated the arrival of Home Rule.  The BAT’s record of successful productions in 1971-72 was a key achievement in what has been called a “mini-renaissance” as well as the golden age of African-American Theatre in Washington.  It was also Washington’s first African-American company to control a commercial theatre venue, an important symbolic achievement. Its success was a symbol of community rebirth after a long period of economic decline that accelerated in the aftermath of the disorders of 1968.

The National Parks Service (NPS) requires that properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years be of "exceptional importance… to a community, a state, a region, or the nation" to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This 50 year threshold is not an arbitrary arithmetic standard. The NPS specifically states that:

It is not designed to prohibit the consideration of properties whose unusual contribution to the development of American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture can clearly be demonstrated.

It should be noted that District of Columbia Historic Preservation law and regulations do not impose the fifty year standard, requiring only that sufficient time has passed to determine the building’s level of significance. The significance of the Black American Theater in the development of Washington’s African-American theatrical and cultural organizations has become well-established, especially by Robert Oliver’s 2005 doctoral dissertation on the development of Washington theater from 1970 to 1990. 

For these reasons, the American Theater merits designation under DC Criterion B for its “association with historical periods, social movements and patterns of growth that contributed to the heritage and development of the District,” as well as that of the nation. For this reason, it is also significant under similar National Register Criterion A.

The restrained, dignified design of the American Theater, set successfully in an irregularly shaped lot, with its distinctive decoration of brick work and balustrade running its entire length, shows the skill of architect Nicholas T. Haller, one of Washington’s most prolific and accomplished practitioners of the early twentieth century.  Heller most often worked with residences, but, as a prominent commercial structure, the American shows his versatility.  Although the façade has been modified at street-level, (the long row of doors removed for shop frontage and the flanking bays’ display cases replaced with entrances) the original relationship of its sections below and above the vestigial marquee remains evident.  The upper façade seems untouched from the theater’s earliest days, with the exception of the Sylvan Theater sign added prior to 1950. The American Theater represents the transition from storefront nickelodeons to purpose-built large scale neighborhood motion picture theaters. It may well be the oldest purpose-built movie theater in the District that shows substantial integrity, and it qualifies for listing under District of Columbia Criteria D through F and similar National Register Criterion C because it embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, style, and method of construction.

The American Theatre’s period of significance begins with its construction in 1913 through the departure of the Black American Theater in 1972.

Bertha Holliday, PhD

Independent Consultant 

Diversity assessment, planning, implementation & evaluation 

202-491-3996

Commissioner, ANC 5E07

Washington, DC
5E07@anc.dc.gov
www.berthaholliday.com 

2nd Vice President

Co- Director, Bloomingdale Village Square Project
Chair, Bloomingdale Biennial House Tour
Bloomingdale Civic Association

Fellow , American Psychological Association