- Hippodrome Theatre (Baltimore, Maryland)
Infobox_nrhp | name =Hippodrome Theatre
nrhp_type =
caption =
location=Baltimore, Maryland
lat_degrees = 39
lat_minutes = 17
lat_seconds = 23
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 76
long_minutes = 37
long_seconds = 17
long_direction = W
locmapin = Maryland
area =
built =1914
architect= Lamb, Thomas White; Singer-Pentz Construction Co.
architecture= Beaux Arts
added =January 14 ,2000 cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = State
refnum=99001670The Hippodrome Theatre is a formervaudeville theater inBaltimore, Maryland . Built in 1914 for impresarios Pierce and Scheck, the 2300-seat theater was the foremost vaudeville house in Baltimore, as well as a movie theater. The Hippodrome was designed by Thomas White Lamb, one of the foremost theater architects of his time. Lamb gave the theater an unusually strong presence on Eutaw Street through the use of brick andterra cotta on a massive façade. The Hippodrome has been recently renovated for use as a performing arts theater, and is part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. [cite web|url=http://www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net/nr/NRDetail.aspx?HDID=1231&COUNTY=Baltimore%20City&FROM=NRCountyList.aspx?COUNTY=Baltimore%20City|title=Maryland Historical Trust|date=2008-07-21|work= The Hippodrome, Baltimore City|publisher=Maryland Historical Trust]The site had previously been occupied by the Eutaw House Hotel, built in 1835. The new theater had an original capacity of 3000 seats and boasted a Moller organ, as well as a house orchestra that survived into the 1950's. The Hippodrome was operated by the
Loew's chain from 1917 to 1924, then by Keith's. During the 1930's the Hippodrome featured such performers asJack Benny ,Milton Berle ,Bob Hope ,Martha Raye ,Dinah Shore ,Red Skelton , theAndrews Sisters ,Morey Amsterdam andBenny Goodman .Frank Sinatra first performed with theTommy Dorsey Orchestra at the Hippodrome. Live performances ceased in 1959, but movies remained strong through the 1960's. The Hippodrome finally closed in 1990 as the last movie theater in downtown Baltimore. [cite web|url=http://www.france-merrickpac.com/history/index.html|title=The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center|date=2008-07-21|work= History|publisher=The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center]The most recent renovation combined three contiguous existing buildings and a new structure: the Western National Bank Building (1887), the Eutaw Savings Bank Building (1888) and the Hippodrome into a major performing arts complex, designed by
Hardy Holtzman Pfeiffer Associates .References
External links
* [http://www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net/nr/NRDetail.aspx?HDID=1231&COUNTY=Baltimore%20City&FROM=NRCountyList.aspx?COUNTY=Baltimore%20City The Hippodrome, Baltimore City] , including photo in 1998, at Maryland Historical Trust
* [http://www.france-merrickpac.com/home.html The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center]
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