CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
The Hippodrome Theater, located at 530 North 2nd Street in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood, stands as a significant landmark in Virginia history. Commissioned in 1912 by entertainment entrepreneur Amanda E. Thorpe, the Hippodrome emerged during the height of the Jim Crow era, when racial segregation shaped every aspect of public life in Virginia and other southern states. The name “Hippodrome” was inspired by famed theaters of New York and London. Designed by Richmond architects Fisher & Rabenstein, the original structure featured an ornate baroque-style facade with ionic columns. With seating for approximately 700 patrons, the theater was designed to bring in large acts and expand the entertainment offerings in Jackson Ward.
Sometimes called the “Harlem of the South,” Jackson Ward was a thriving center of Black business, culture, and political life. The Hippodrome was patronized almost exclusively by Black audiences, although it was owned by a white person. Its ownership signified the economic inequalities faced by the Black community. Even though Jackson Ward was filled with thriving Black businesses, a large entreprise such as this required access to significant financial capital, which was not available to most Black individuals.
The venue quickly became a vital community hub. In March 1915, for example, local residents attended a mass meeting there to raise funds for the attorneys who were challenging the city's residential segregation ordinance in the Virginia Supreme Court. The Hippodrome thus functioned not only as a performance space but also as a place for political activism.
In 1916 the building was sold to another white owner, Charles A. Somma. Under his ownership the theater underwent renovations in 1919 that significantly altered its facade in the Beaux-Arts style. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, Black vaudeville acts formed the center of its programming. Performers included DeKoven Thompson and his company who drew large audiences, highlighting the Hippodrome’s role in the so-called “Chitlin’ Circuit,” a network of Black performance venues that provided opportunities for Black artists in a time when they were banned from Whites-only venues. Other noted performers include Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway.
In 1937, the Hippodrome was purchased by A. E. Lichtman. According to the Theatre Historical Society of America, Lichtman’s philanthropic efforts suggest that he was sympathetic to the civil rights aspirations of the communities his theaters served. On July 21, 1945, a devastating fire occurred at the Hippodrome. The building was rebuilt in 1946 per plans by Architect John J. Zink of Baltimore. The new design featured the Art Deco style popular in the mid-20th century.
As a space for entertainment and political organization, the Hippodrome signifies how Black Virginians responded with creativity and solidarity to the limitations Jim Crow laws imposed on their lives. Although many historic buildings in Jackson Ward fell victim to highway development and “urban renewal” projects, the Hippodrome still stands on 2nd Street as an event venue.
Citations:
Theater-Permit Number: 2895, Plans for Hippodrome Theater, Address: 530 N. 2nd St. St., 1912, Richmond (Va.) and Theater-Permit Number: 7632A, Hippodrome Theatre, North Second St., Mr. Chas. Somma, Prop., Address: 528-530 N. 2nd St. St., 1919, both in Bureau of Permits and Inspections, Building Permit Architectural Blueprints, 1907–circa 2000, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
“That Anti-Segregation Meeting,” Richmond Planet, March 27, 1915 (view online at Virginia Chronicle).
Sometimes called the “Harlem of the South,” Jackson Ward was a thriving center of Black business, culture, and political life. The Hippodrome was patronized almost exclusively by Black audiences, although it was owned by a white person. Its ownership signified the economic inequalities faced by the Black community. Even though Jackson Ward was filled with thriving Black businesses, a large entreprise such as this required access to significant financial capital, which was not available to most Black individuals.
The venue quickly became a vital community hub. In March 1915, for example, local residents attended a mass meeting there to raise funds for the attorneys who were challenging the city's residential segregation ordinance in the Virginia Supreme Court. The Hippodrome thus functioned not only as a performance space but also as a place for political activism.
In 1916 the building was sold to another white owner, Charles A. Somma. Under his ownership the theater underwent renovations in 1919 that significantly altered its facade in the Beaux-Arts style. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, Black vaudeville acts formed the center of its programming. Performers included DeKoven Thompson and his company who drew large audiences, highlighting the Hippodrome’s role in the so-called “Chitlin’ Circuit,” a network of Black performance venues that provided opportunities for Black artists in a time when they were banned from Whites-only venues. Other noted performers include Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway.
In 1937, the Hippodrome was purchased by A. E. Lichtman. According to the Theatre Historical Society of America, Lichtman’s philanthropic efforts suggest that he was sympathetic to the civil rights aspirations of the communities his theaters served. On July 21, 1945, a devastating fire occurred at the Hippodrome. The building was rebuilt in 1946 per plans by Architect John J. Zink of Baltimore. The new design featured the Art Deco style popular in the mid-20th century.
As a space for entertainment and political organization, the Hippodrome signifies how Black Virginians responded with creativity and solidarity to the limitations Jim Crow laws imposed on their lives. Although many historic buildings in Jackson Ward fell victim to highway development and “urban renewal” projects, the Hippodrome still stands on 2nd Street as an event venue.
Citations:
Theater-Permit Number: 2895, Plans for Hippodrome Theater, Address: 530 N. 2nd St. St., 1912, Richmond (Va.) and Theater-Permit Number: 7632A, Hippodrome Theatre, North Second St., Mr. Chas. Somma, Prop., Address: 528-530 N. 2nd St. St., 1919, both in Bureau of Permits and Inspections, Building Permit Architectural Blueprints, 1907–circa 2000, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.
“That Anti-Segregation Meeting,” Richmond Planet, March 27, 1915 (view online at Virginia Chronicle).
Standards
VS.8, VS.11, USII.5, VUS.10, VUS.12
Suggested Questions
Pre-Activity
Take a Look: For each blueprint, identify architectural features, such as symmetry, columns, ornamentation. Then, compare the two facades and note the differences. Write a short comparative paragraph. Be specific. Hypothesize what may have led to such a dramatic change in a relatively short time period between 1912 and 1919.
Post Activities
Form an opinion: How does the Hippodrome’s physical design reflect both opportunity and inequality? What messages do buildings send about wealth, culture, and power?
Artistic expression: Create a broadside or flyer advertising a performance at the Hippodrome from any time period. What would you include in the information, and why?
Analyze: Read the Richmond Planet article and consider—why might a theater be used for political organizing? What might have been risks involved when politically organizing during the Jim Crow era? What role did a newspaper like the Richmond Planet play?
Timeline: This Richmond Planet article is from 1915. It notes “great hopes for a successful conclusion.” However, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld Richmond's residential segregation ordinance and even after the U.S. Supreme Court declared such local laws unconstitutional, cities and towns in Virginia continued to segregate residential neighborhoods. Public schools in Virginia had been segregated since 1870. Virginia began segregating public transportation in 1900, and in 1926 Virginia passed a law mandating that public spaces be racially segregated. Construct a timeline that begins with Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 Supreme Court decision that allowed segregation under the doctrine of "separate but equal," and ends with the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Include up to ten civil rights milestones between those years, both nationally and in Virginia. What does this tell you about the fight for equality in Virginia and the United States?
Exit Ticket: Write a paragraph answering the following prompts:
Take a Look: For each blueprint, identify architectural features, such as symmetry, columns, ornamentation. Then, compare the two facades and note the differences. Write a short comparative paragraph. Be specific. Hypothesize what may have led to such a dramatic change in a relatively short time period between 1912 and 1919.
Post Activities
Form an opinion: How does the Hippodrome’s physical design reflect both opportunity and inequality? What messages do buildings send about wealth, culture, and power?
Artistic expression: Create a broadside or flyer advertising a performance at the Hippodrome from any time period. What would you include in the information, and why?
Analyze: Read the Richmond Planet article and consider—why might a theater be used for political organizing? What might have been risks involved when politically organizing during the Jim Crow era? What role did a newspaper like the Richmond Planet play?
Timeline: This Richmond Planet article is from 1915. It notes “great hopes for a successful conclusion.” However, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld Richmond's residential segregation ordinance and even after the U.S. Supreme Court declared such local laws unconstitutional, cities and towns in Virginia continued to segregate residential neighborhoods. Public schools in Virginia had been segregated since 1870. Virginia began segregating public transportation in 1900, and in 1926 Virginia passed a law mandating that public spaces be racially segregated. Construct a timeline that begins with Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 Supreme Court decision that allowed segregation under the doctrine of "separate but equal," and ends with the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Include up to ten civil rights milestones between those years, both nationally and in Virginia. What does this tell you about the fight for equality in Virginia and the United States?
Exit Ticket: Write a paragraph answering the following prompts:
- What is one thing you learned today?
- What is a question you still have?
- I used to think _______, but now I know ______.