Byrd Theater

Byrd Theater (c. 1929)

Byrd Theater (c. 2017)

Site Name: Byrd Theatre

Date of Construction: 1928

Reason for Construction: The Byrd Theatre was built as a motion-picture theater capitalizing off the ever-rising popularity of said motion pictures, providing a source of entertainment to Richmonders through the showing of cinema in an extremely extravagant environment.

Site History: The Byrd Theatre was first opened on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 1928. Designed by Fred Bishop and Brounet Studios in New York, the theatre cost $900,000 in 1928 to construct due to its opulence.

Within the theatre, there was a 5,000 crystal chandelier, gold accenting, their famous Wurlitzer organ, and an ornamental harp. Furthermore, the theatre was supplied with Vitaphone, a state-of-the-art sound equipment at the time. Although lavish, the cost of admittance was relatively affordable, with adults being charged 50 cents and children 10 cents. The first film to be shown at the theatre was Waterfront (1928), the first of many major films that would be showcased there. Robert Coulter managed the theatre for its first forty-three years in existence. Deeply invested in the interests of the theatre, Coulter refused to retire even as he was nearing death. In efforts to relieve Coulter in his final days, he was fired from his role as the manager of the Byrd Theatre, although those actions did not keep him from returning to the theatre frequently. There have been many supposed sightings of Coulter’s ghost, with both employees and guests claiming to see him regularly sitting in the balcony. Today, the Byrd Theatre still retains much of its original architecture, save for some repairs, and still operates as a movie theatre, its extravagance contrasted by the still-cheap cost of admission, $2.00.

Area History:

In 1927, Westham Plank Road was renamed Cary Street, after Archibald Cary, a wealthy plantation owner and huge supporter of the Revolutionary War. In 1928, the Byrd Theater opened to the public. One of the oldest outdoor shopping centers on the east coast, Cary Court opened in 1938, 10 years after the Byrd opened. Throughout the following decades, Cary Street transitioned from apartments and corner stores to hosting shops of any type. When the street was made one-way in 1955, many shoppers began to recognize it as a one-stop destination for all of their needs. In 1974, the name “Carytown” was first used to refer to the shops along W. Cary Street. In the 1980’s, competition from the Willow Lawn mall was harsh, but Carytown remained strong. Now home to over 230 stores, both commercial chains and locally owned businesses, Carytown remains as a testament to the history of the city of Richmond.

What about the site has changed? Remarkably, save for necessary repairs, the installation of a new state-of-the-art sound system, the Dolby Digital, and the removal of the marquee and fountain in the lobby, the Byrd Theatre has survived relatively unaltered in architecture, and still serves as a movie theater, as well. Following the death of its first manager, Robert Coulter, George Stitzer took on the role of manager. Although still running, the theatre has faced financial issues. To ease this, a non-profit called the Byrd Theatre Foundation was created, although issues with funding for renovations, the building’s mortgage, and general services still exist. However, following a 2010 robbery of the theater’s donation box, support from the community emerged, resulting in an influx of much needed attention and donations.

What about the surrounding area has changed?

Now dubbed“The Mile of Style,” the Carytown district has not changed significantly since the early half of the 20th century, as it seems to adapt to the times rather than go through drastic changes. Store open and close based on the economy or the supply and demand of the community, but the buildings themselves remain generally the same since they were built, although many of them are in constant need of repairs and restorations. The area has expanded greatly, stretching over 9 blocks between Interstate 195 and the Boulevard. There is a stark contrast in the architectural style of original buildings and the newer additions, specifically on the western end of the street. Nowadays, Carytown is home to many festivals during the warmer months as well as a large celebration for New Year’s Eve.

Reflection: We were both very pleasantly surprised as we continued to do this project. We did not run into many issues during our research, as we found that the Byrd Theatre is actually very well-documented historically. Going into this project, we regarded the Byrd Theatre as an anomaly in Carytown, its grand appearance contrasting with the smaller shops. However, it was interesting to see parallels between the theatre and its surrounding community, in that they both choose to retain their original style. Most notably, we expected the situation regarding the theatre’s haunting to be a lot more sinister, but were instead pleasantly surprised by the somewhat sweet story of an old man so passionate about his life’s work, he could not bear to leave it even after life left him.

Authors: Jenna Phan and Kate Grant

Sources:

Bredimus, Kate. "The Mysteries of the Byrd Revealed." Richmond Times-Dispatch.
    Last modified April 8, 2002. Accessed March 18, 2017.
       http://www.richmond.com/entertainment/article_73524e0e-ff98-5647-8fdb

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"Carytown, Then and Now." The Valentine. Last modified March 31, 2014. Accessed
         March 16, 2017. http://thevalentine.org/blog/carytown_then_and_now.

Byrd Theatre. "Photo Gallery." The Byrd Theatre. Accessed February 16, 2017.
    http://byrdtheatre.com/history/photo-gallery/.

Byrd Theatre. "History." The Byrd Theatre. Accessed March 16, 2017.
    http://byrdtheatre.com/history/.

"How Cary St. Got Its Name." River City Food Tours. Accessed March 17, 2017.
         http://www.rivercityfoodtours.com/how-cary-st-got-its-name/.

Nielsen, Stephen. "Carytown: Richmond’s Ever-changing Shopping District."
                RVANews. Last modified August 3, 2012. Accessed March 17, 2017.
     https://rvanews.com/entertainment/carytown-richmonds-ever-changing
    -shopping-district/63336.

Tisdale, Sara Dabney. "Giving the Byrd." Style Weekly. Last modified August 4,
   2010. Accessed March 18, 2017. http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/
    giving-the-byrd/Content?oid=1361021.

Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff. "Byrd Theatre." National Register of

Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Virginia Historic Landmarks

Commission, Richmond, June 21 1977.