Evening star., 1941-09-14
Designed Courthouse


The next playhouse in the city, and the
first one erected as a theater, was the
Washington Theater, designed by George
Hadfeld, an English architect, who came
TO this country with the idea of design
ing the Capitol and, although the award
Tor this building was given to DR.. Will
Ham Thornton, he did later serve as an
assistant architect in its construction
However, one of his notable designs In
this city is the United States Courthouse
and he also was responsible for planning
the central portion Of Arlington House,
as well as furnishing the design for the
Van Ness mausoleum in Oak Hill Gene
terry, copy Of the Temple Of Vesta at
Tivoh, Rome.
The Washington Theater, which stood
at the northeast corner of Eleventh and
G streets-the site now covered by the
west side of the Internal Revenue Build
lng-was begun in June, 1903, and was
first opened on Friday, November 16,
1904, the play being grand medley en-
tertalnment by the celebrated Mr.. Ma
g1nnis from London who has performed
IN most of the capital cities of Europe
and America" Later plays here in
cluded wives as They Were and Maids
as They Are" and Ways and Means, or a
Trip TO Dover" which sound somewhat
LIKE The titles Of the plays put on there
nearly century later by Jake Budd and
his contemporaries-Billy Williams and
Eugene Mas. They included The Two
Tramps" THE Oyster Dealer" big
Foot Wallace" The Railroad War;" "a
Messenger From Alexandria" "A Big
Mistake" "a Practical Joke" Bill Jones'
Cousin" and others with similar titles.
Jefferson'S Fame
Here, as far back as 1903, Joseph JEFF
teFson, grandfather of the Joseph Jeffer-
son of RIP Van Wrinkle" fame, played
'Ths Rivals" or "a Trip to Bath" and
year after Francis Scott Key wrote
@T11e Star Spangled Banner" the piece
was sung here and was received with
tumultuous and nbounded applause. -
Shortly afterward, Gen. Andrew jackson
attended here a performance for the
benefit of the poor and, in 1919, Presi-
dent Monroe and his family witnessed a
play here, and 1t is is said to have been
the first time President attended a
Washington playhouse.
The theater was destroyed by fire April
10, 1920, leaving standing only the walls.
m june, 1921, the site and some addi-
tional ground were purchased by Lewis
Car1lsi and here Mr.. Carusi built his
Washington City Assembly Rooms, gen.
erally known as Carusis Salon, where
many Washington girls-Some now ven-
cradle women-learned to dance while
hendicaps to the performing Of the light
fantastic.
Prior to the Civil War, the Washington
Assembly Rooms we're engaged for the
best functions of the city, and here the
elite gathered to dance at the inaugural
balls of Presidents John Quincy Adams,
Martin Van Buren, James K Polk, Zach
ary Taylor, Franklin Pierce and James
Buchanan. 1t was in CaruSis Salon that
Baron Stackelburg had the distinction
of introducing here the waltz, which is
still one of our most popular dances.
After the burning of the Washington
Theater, a new playhouse, which adopted
the same name, was built on the south
side Of Louisiana avenue (now Indiana
avenue), a little east of Sixth street. Here
on August 8. 1921, its managers, Warren
and Wood, had their opening night in
"She Stoops to Conquer" and THE
Spoiled Child and among the members
Of the company engaged by the managers
30 give it successful beginning we find
such notables Of the day as Mr.. Warren,
Mr.. and Mrs Wood, Mr.. and Mrs Francis,
adr. and Mrs. Jefferson. Mr.. and Mrs. Il.
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