Evening star., 1950-12-03
D. c. Theater History
early Ployhouses Mostly Disappeared,
But Ford's Became Lincoln Museum
BY John CIoeett Proctor

augural balls OF Presidents John
Quincy Adams. Martin Van Buren,.
James K. Polk. Zachary Taylor,
Franklin Pierce and James
Buchanan. 1t was in Carusi's
Salon that Baron Stackelburg had
the distinction Of introducing the
waltz.
John Howard Payne Song
After the burning of the Wash
ington 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.
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 we find
such notables of the day as Mr..
Warren. Mr.. and Mrs. Wood, Mr..
and Mrs. Francis, Mr.. and Mrs.
Jefferson. Mr.. and Mrs. H. Wal
ZACH, Mr.. and Mrs. Daley, Mrs.
Burke, Mrs. Lefolle. Miss Sey-
mour. Miss Hatwell. Mr.. Wheat
ley and Mr.. Hatwell.
It was in this Louisiana avenue
house that "Clari, or the Maid Of
Milan" written by John Howard
Payne. was presented on March
20. 1924. At this performance,
Mrs. Warren sang Home. Sweet
Home" Ito great applause. This
theater was destroyed by fire in
1859 and never rebuilt.
The next theater to be erected
was the National Theater. In
1850, a temporary building. called
National Hall, was erected on the
old site for the accommodation Of
Jenny Lind-the Swedish Night
ingale.
Ford Theater Beginning
Another Of the old theater
buildings was Ford's Opera House,
which for years was at c and
Ninth streets. when 1t was razed
to make room for the Department
of Justice building. In its day 1t
was one Of the best playhouses In
the city and shared with the
National and Albaugh's Grand
Opera House in the best shows
that came to the city. In 1S4e Its
site was covered by a large coach
factory, conducted by Haslup &
Weeden. 1t appears to have been
first used as a theater in 1853.
under the name Varieties Concert
Saloon. In 1865, the name had
been changed to the Oxford Hall
of Music. with Fox, Curran &
Norris as the proprietors and
managers. The next year George
Lea was running the place as
Canterbury Hall. In 1857 1t be-
came Wallis Opera House. with
Berry & Wall as proprietors. H.
B. Phillips was later q lessee as
was j. G. Seville. 1t was COM
pletely destroyed by fire Decem-
ber 6, 1871. and rebuilt and re-
opened by John T. Ford on Febru-
ary 81, 1873.
In 1853 a theater known Al
Risley's Varieties was opened in
the second story of the Iron
Building or Iron Hall, on the
north side Of Pennsylvania avenue
between Ninth and Tenth streets.
Here for a long while was Met
zerott's Music Store, and here also
the ''Featherduster Legislature"
had its inglorious ending. Mrs.
Charles Howard, afterward Mrs.
Harry Watkins, was the first at
traction to open here, on Novem-
ber 81. and the place continued
as a theater for several seasons.
Many will recall Odd Fellows
Hall as place of amusement for
such plays as "Uncle Toms Cabin"
and for side-show attractions. A
concert hall. probably now known
to but few, was the Columbia
Garden, located in 1867 at
Twelfth street and Ohio avenue.
First Movies in 1897
The old Willard Hall, which
once stood near the southwest
corner of F and Fourteenth streets
site now covered by the Willard
Hotel-was in its day a popular
place for concerts and lectures,
and notable as the first place for
a motion picture to be shown in
Washington, which took place on
January /. 1897. and other amuse-
ment places might be mentioned.
Another Of the old theater
buildings Is the Ford Theater
Building. on Tenth street, where
President Lincoln was assassi-
mated on April II, 1865. This
building was erected in 1853.