Attucks Theatre
Why it's listed
Built in 1919 on Church Street in Norfolk's Huntersville district, the Attucks Theatre combined a motion picture auditorium seating about six hundred with ground-floor shops and upper-floor offices. Black architect Harvey N. Johnson designed it and supervised construction. A group of black businessmen who formed the Twin Cities Amusement Corporation erected it, with financing from two black-owned Tidewater institutions, the Brown Savings Bank and Tidewater Trust Company. The theatre was named for Crispus Attucks, and its original curtain, painted with a scene of his death by Lee Lash Studios of New York, survives. Tenants in the 1920s included lawyers, a dentist, realtors and an insurance company. After the Depression the area declined, and the clothing firm Stark and Legum bought the building around 1931 and altered the front. The auditorium, stage, boxes and balcony remain largely intact, and plans called for restoring it as a theatre for the neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a rare early motion picture theatre in Virginia that was financed, designed and built exclusively by blacks. It was a landmark on Church Street, the commercial main street of Norfolk's black community. Its name honors Crispus Attucks, a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for equality, and its original painted fire curtain survives.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82004575, listed September 16, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1008--1012 Church St., Norfolk (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk |
| Listed | September 16, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004575 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Harvey N. Johnson |
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Performing Arts |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked occupied and unoccupied on the form; the building was used as a clothing store and pawn shop, with plans to restore it as a theatre. Condition is listed as fair and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 36.85643, -76.27878 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82004575.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4818737
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.