Donk's Theatre
National Register of Historic Places

Donk's Theatre

Hudgins, Virginia
Listed
February 16, 2017
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
10001185

About this property

Donk's Theatre was a historic movie theater located at Hudgins, Mathews County, Virginia. Donk's Theatre was built in 1946–1947, and was a vernacular rectangular building constructed of rusticated cinder and concrete block, painted white and cream with Art Deco style details. The building measured 50 feet by 100 feet, and consisted of the central theatre entrance, storefronts, and a 504-seat auditorium. The theater operated as a segregated venue for motion pictures until passage of federal civil rights legislation in 1964. In the following years the movie business was declining and the theater closed in 1970. It reopened in 1975, as a live country music concert hall. On January 22, 2016, the roof of Donk's collapsed due to heavy snowfall from a winter storm, as did several of the outside walls. Little survived, and what remained required demolition; the owners said that they would save the marquee. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011, and was removed from the National Register in 2017.

Location

Hudgins, Virginia
37.47343, -76.32618
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

Lane Hotel, The
Industrial
2.6 mi
James, Thomas, Store, Old
Industrial
2.6 mi
Sibley's and James Store Historic District
Listed
2.6 mi
Mathews County Courthouse Square
Listed
2.8 mi
Billups House
Industrial
3.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Action at Gwynn's Island
1776Revolutionary War
3.2 mi
Battle of Gwynn's Island
1776Revolutionary War
3.6 mi
Action at Gwynn's Island (1776)
1776Revolutionary War
4.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Donk's Theatre listed on the National Register?

Donk's Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 2017.

What type of historic resource is Donk's Theatre?

Donk's Theatre is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Donk's Theatre?

The period of significance for Donk's Theatre is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Donk's Theatre?

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