{"nrhp_refnum":"99000077","name":"Coliseum, The,-Duplex Envelope Company Building","other_names":["Valentine Auction Company Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1339-1363 W. Broad St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond (Independent City)","county":"Richmond (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.55326643600006,"lon":-77.44478595599998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1999-01-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Social History","Religion"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story red-brick commercial building of about 90,000 square feet at 1339-1363 West Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia, built in 1922 as the city's first Coliseum and converted in 1927-28 for the Duplex Envelope Company and an automobile dealership.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A for its role in Richmond's recreation, manufacturing, commerce and religion. It began as the city's first coliseum, a skating rink and performance hall, and later housed the Duplex Envelope Company, which grew into the world's largest manufacturer of church envelopes. It is also tied to its two developers, Gibson Worsham and Archer Jones.","narrative":"Occupying a long stretch of West Broad Street in Richmond, this three-story red-brick building began in 1922 as the city's first Coliseum. Builder E. H. Armentrout constructed it for businessmen Gibson Worsham and Archer Jones, who used it for roller skating, ice skating, circuses and other events. Competition from newer venues such as the Acca Temple Mosque and the City Arena cut into its business. In 1927 architect Otis Spiers and Davis Brothers, Inc. reconfigured the interior with new concrete floors, a sprinkler system and a car ramp. The building then housed an automobile dealership and the Duplex Envelope Company, which Jones led. Duplex printed and boxed church envelopes on the third floor, beneath large exposed steel trusses, and became the world's largest maker of them. The company stayed until the 1970s. The building is significant for its part in Richmond's recreation, manufacturing, commerce and religious giving, and for its link to its two developers. Its plain commercial exterior and Coliseum-era structure remain largely intact.","period_of_significance":"1922-1948","architect_builder":"E. H. Armentrout, Builder (1920-22); Otis Spiers, Architect, and Davis Brothers, Inc., General Contractor (1927)","architectural_style":"Early 20th Century: Commercial Style","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Current function is commerce/trade warehouse; part of the ground floor is leased to a university archaeology department, and the upper floors are mainly open warehouse space.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.389245-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/5/6832/41683205/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/99000077.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000077/817df87b1c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/99000077/817df87b1c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Morgan Riley","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DuplexEnvelopeBuilding.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Morgan Riley</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DuplexEnvelopeBuilding.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"71000982","name":"James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/james-river-and-kanawha-canal-historic-district-71000982/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41683205","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coliseum%E2%80%93Duplex_Envelope_Company_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7726648"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/richmond/coliseum-the-duplex-envelope-company-building-99000077/"}