National Register of Historic Places

Little Theatre

Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida
Listed
July 11, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91000895

About this property

Theatre Jacksonville is a community theater based in Jacksonville, Florida, United States (Duval County). It is the oldest continuously-operating community theater in the state of Florida, and one of the oldest in the United States. Its building, also known as the Little Theatre, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The Little Theatre company was founded at Jacksonville, Florida in 1919 and then changed its name to "Little Theatre of Jacksonville" in 1926. Cigar magnate Carl Swisher financed a new building in the San Marco neighborhood (2032 San Marco Boulevard) in 1927. It took until January 4, 1938 for the first premiere to take place, namely Boy meets Girl. In 1969, because of its recent growth as a performance venue, the Little Theatre of Jacksonville became Theatre Jacksonville. Mayor Hans Tanzler issued a proclamation naming Theatre Jacksonville as Jacksonville's official theater. On July 12, 1991, the Little Theatre building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The $500,000 Harold K. Smith Playhouse Endowment for facility maintenance was established in June, 1997. In October, 2000 the theater facade renovation was completed and the facility was formally dedicated as the Harold K. Smith Playhouse. Duval County listings, Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs

Location

2032 San Marco Blvd.
Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida
30.30333, -81.65271

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

South Jacksonville Grammar School
Industrial
0.6 mi
Red Bank Plantation
Industrial
1.3 mi
Catherine Street Fire Station
Civil War
1.5 mi
Hutchinson-Suddath Building
Industrial
1.5 mi
Dyal-Upchurch Building
Industrial
1.6 mi

Nearby Battles

First Battle of Jacksonville
1862Civil War
2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Little Theatre listed on the National Register?

Little Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 11, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Little Theatre?

Little Theatre is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Little Theatre?

The period of significance for Little Theatre is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Little Theatre?

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